


Like A Bird On A Wire

by Trista_zevkia



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Civil War Team Iron Man, Claiming, Comic Book Science, Forced Abortion, Forced Marriage, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Null - Freeform, Omega Tony Stark, Post Mpreg, Suicidal Thoughts, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:55:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29420469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trista_zevkia/pseuds/Trista_zevkia
Summary: Bucky and Steve are dead. But somebody is wearing Bucky's face and Tony will find out what's going on, even if it kills him.A Winteriron retelling of the movie Bird on  Wire
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Loki, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Thor, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this started since Civil War first came out, finally got it into somewhat readable shape.   
> Title of story and movie is from a song by [ Leonard Cohen ](https://youtu.be/BmPUu-rMpWA) with my favorite cover [ by The Neville Brothers ](https://youtu.be/TKDMiyRmbik)

The rain poured down, hard enough to drown out the thunder. The mechanic didn't have much to do except watch it pour, as the garage currently didn't have any cars to work on. This was Detroit and people were either too poor to afford a car or proud enough to work on it themselves. Motor City was in decline, and only a rich bitch of the worst sort would rent a foreign car and get lost in the poorer parts of downtown. That's what the mechanic figured anyway, as range rover pulled into parking lot.

The car sat for a long moment, longer than he figured it would take to reset the GPS. Maybe the rich bitch was lost and the GPS had cut out because of the storm? Being a good guy, the mechanic dug up a raincoat and an umbrella, slowly. The car was still there, so he jogged out into the rain to see if he could help. He went to the driver's side and the rain let up enough for him to hear an exasperated voice. 

"It's a rental and we have a meeting. This is your project. You know we can't afford to be late because you were fixing a rental." 

"Look, Pep rally, I don't want to die in a rental with an alignment problem and hydroplaning tires." The driver spoke, his face looking away from the mechanic. Pep noticed the mechanic and gave him a small wave, which had the driver looking over. 

The driver was gorgeous, with a perfectly trimmed goatee and hair. His eyes were whiskey, and the mechanic knew he could drown in them even as they got wider in recognition. Lightning split the sky, and the mechanic returned to the safety of the garage. The driver followed, or tried to. His seatbelt kept him in place and he had to take that off as well as put the car in park before he could follow. Pep shut the car off and grabbed the keys and an umbrella before she followed. The mechanic was inside the garage but kept the hood up on his raincoat. 

"Bucky, please, it's me." The driver pleaded. 

"Who the hell is Bucky?" The mechanic shot back, revealing a thick Russian accent. 

"You are. I'm Tony, don't you remember? Is it amnesia? That's a real thing, not just a sitcom thing?" 

"Tony? What's going on?" Pep asked, voice carefully calm. 

"Pepper, Bucky has amnesia, I need a neurosurgeon or something." 

Pepper seemed to understand, perhaps more than Tony. She got next to Tony, putting an arm around his shoulders, but spoke to the mechanic. "Are you suffering from memory loss or a head injury?" 

"Nyet. No. I am Sarai. I remember everything." 

"I know your face, please." Tony cried out, on the verge of tears. 

"I'm sorry," Pepper spoke, "but you look very much like someone Tony loved. Would you allow him to scent you?" 

The mechanic, Sarai, hesitated, but this was understandable. Scenting was such a private thing, only for family and lovers. "Da. Only beta, but if it will help pretty one, he may scent me." 

Sarai still took his time pulling off the raincoat, letting his long hair free from the hood. 

"You look good with long hair." Tony offered and then he was scenting Sarai for all he was worth. Tony was desperate for that scent he knew so well, the one he occasionally still woke up with in his nose. No scent at his neck, his wrists, so Tony even dug his nose into the poor man's armpits. He found only human sweat and the lack of scent one expected of a beta. Tony whined, and Pepper was there. Tony buried his nose in her much more familiar beta scent and expensive perfume. 

"Thank you for letting him scent you." Pepper offered as she popped the umbrella over them. Then she carefully lead Tony back to the car, getting him in the passenger seat. 

Sarai waited until the car was lost to the maze of streets again before collapsing. Sitting on the cold concrete, he sagged and stared a nothing. Some time later he stood and made his way over to the cell phone on the counter. He dialed in a number, one that was not saved to his phone. When prompted to leave a message, the voice that spoke had no trace of a Russian accent. 

"Asset 1981 reporting. Encounter with previous associate at 17:15. Extraction requested." 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

For the first time, Tony found himself convincing Pepper to let him attend a meeting, a distraction from the strange beta mechanic. Helping Detroit during the economic depression by investing in green energy was his idea and he had to sell it. It would build a future for the famous city, and Tony needed the good press if he was to convince Obie of the project's viability. A highly select team of engineers, aka Tony, Jarvis and the bots, had mapped out that part, but now came the human element, aka again, Tony. Tony wasn't here as a genius behind the plan, he was the figurehead omega who fluttered his eyes and distracted the sexists while Pepper made the plan seem like the only reasonable thing to do. It was all kinds of bullshit, but Tony wasn't above working the system he was forced to swim in. 

Danner over there was old school, republican conservative, so after Tony did his bit, he was expected to keep his head down and mouth closed. Not his strong suite, but today he had a perfect distraction. It wasn't the original, that was preserved with the art in Pepper's climate controlled vault, and Jarvis could print Tony out a copy if he ever needed it, but Tony still handled it as if it was precious. He didn't need the photos getting in the hands of the press, who would work so hard to dig out the information there. But also, and this must absolutely never get out, the stupid souvenir was about the only good luck charm a skeptic like himself could go for. 

A fantastic day at Coney Island, complete with a stop in a touristy photo booth had produced the strip of five pictures. Sunburned and grinning, him and Bucky sat together, facing the camera, hands out in a Star Trek salute. Well, Bucky's left hand had been in the t'la, his right was groping Tony's ass, and his eyes were on Tony. Tony had put up a token protest, not wanting to get too hot and bothered when it was still another couple of hours before they could do anything about it. Bucky had leaned in to promise filthy things and slid his hand under Tony's jeans just in time for Tony to have a ridiculous expression on his face when the camera went off for the second picture. 

They were making out in the next picture. The fourth photo showed Steve in profile, as he'd stuck his head in to see if they were in there. Tony was laughing at Bucky, who was facepalming. Steve managed to squeeze in for the last picture, him and Bucky had to turn their shoulders to make him fit and even then their heads had to be squished together to get into the frame. They were all smiling in that last picture, but Bucky was supper happy, the two people he loved best in all the world sandwiching him in. 

Tony had been stupidly happy and in love, and he thought he wasn't the only one. Here and now, he cradled the photo strip in his hands, resting in his lap, emotions carefully held in check. He sent an order to Jarvis on his phone, and returned the strip of photos to his wallet. He had been stupid, happy and in love. He wasn't any of those things any more, and he would be returning to that service station tonight, even if it was just for one more look at Bucky's Russian twin. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

The rental moved well enough to slide into a spot with a good view of the tiny service station. Tony was later than he meant to be, what with Detroit lacking certain basic amenities, like 24 hour delivery of anything you want if you are rich enough. Tony had to go to the shop and pick up the camera and long distance lens Jarvis had found for him. The foot long and actually rather heavy lens was a favorite of paparazzi and pervs everywhere, so Tony felt he was in good company when he pointed and waited for Bucky version 2.0 to appear. Sure, he had smelled of beta, grease and nothing like Bucky, but Tony knew full well the quality of certain scent blockers, what with producing and using them himself. It kept interactions with CEO's like Danner civil. 

The camera was growing heavy in his hands when a black SUV pulled up, with windows tinted so dark they weren't actually street legal, so either well financed criminals or undercover gov't agency. Tony started taking pictures as the four guys in black tactical gear got out, silencers on guns. So, probably vague yet menacing government agency, but Tony took more pictures as two went around to the back of the building. The other two gave them a minute to get in place

There was a moment of silence while Tony tried to figure out if he should call anybody. If they were government, then they'd probably called the cops and told them to ignore this section of town for awhile. If they were government, what where they going to do? Open fire inside the garage the moment they saw Russian Bucky, lighting up garage and messing with Tony's camera settings as he held down the button to take pictures? Similar lights from upstairs suggested they found something to shoot up there, but whatever or whoever that was didn't fight back. Tony just stared and took pictures until a body was flung out of the garage. 

Bucky followed after, rolling to pick up a gun from the fallen agent. The sight of Bucky had Tony moving, dropping the camera and reaching for the ignition. Bucky or look-alike, Tony couldn't sit here while he was getting killed. A trial, sure, but not murdered in Michigan. And, Bucky probably didn't know there were two more upstairs, but he saw the car pull up. Tony stuck his head out the window, not smart but it let Bucky see who was in the car. Bucky ran for him, shooting the SUV's tires as he moved. 

"Behind you" Tony cried out a warning, unsure if Bucky could hear him. The upstairs agents had moved downstairs and started to fire towards the car. They got a headlight, but Bucky turned to fire back and the headlight deserved it more than Bucky. Bucky flung himself into the passenger seat and Tony was moving, turning into the street before Bucky could close the door. The hotel wasn't that far away and Tony aimed for it and the safety of the underground garage. He didn't dare look at his passenger, but he could talk and drive. 

"What was your name again?" 

"Tony." The passenger said in a very familiar tone. 

"Really? Pretty sure that's my name." 

"James Buchanan Barnes, but sane people call me Bucky. You called me anything but my name so I don't know why my name should matter to you. A particular favorite was when you would call me Bacchus or sucked my dick and call it the festival of Bacchanalia." 

"Guess if I wasn't such a slut you wouldn't even remember me." Tony jerked the car into the garage and found a parking spot. It was late at night so they had a few minutes of silence. 

"I could use some bandages and ice." Bucky mentioned casually. 

"Might be some in my hotel room." Tony responded just as casually. 

"Tony, might I be allowed to use your hotel room, ice, and a few medical supplies? I think I might have been shot in the ass." 

"You were shot?" Tony reached for the ignition he'd just shut off. 

"No hospital!" Bucky sounded almost panicked and tried to get that out of his tone. "I'm sure it's just a graze." 

"Infection!" Tony argued, but his hand didn't turn the key in the ignition, so Bucky talked. 

"I can't go to the hospital, not for a scratch like this." 

"I'll pay, unless you're still sensitive about that." 

"Tony," Bucky paused, probably as he searched for a better way to convince Tony to do what he wanted. "Too many ears in a hospital, and I won't be able to explain things to you." 

Tony knew Bucky was playing on his curiosity, one of his primary driving forces, but he turned to look at Bucky. He was flush from exertion and there wasn't a huge obvious stain of blood on the seat around him. "You sure you don't need a doctor?" 

Bucky grinned at winning the argument, but tried to divert Tony's attention by turning it into a flirty look. "You do still care." 

"Better be a hell of a story." Tony growled back before getting out of the car. Bucky got out too, and Tony could see the blood soaking through his jeans. 

"What's your room number? I'll come up the stairs and meet you there." 

"Like fuck am I letting you out of my sight until you've damned well explained this." 

"Doll, I've got blood on my pants." 

"Won't be the worst thing I've been caught doing." Tony spoke while his brain was on not getting caught. 

Shucking his suit jacket, Tony stepped up to wrap it around Bucky's waist. He was bringing the arms around to tie in front when he stupidly looked up. Their eyes locked and Tony knew this was his alpha. All those emotions he'd felt years ago where still there, simply buried under layers of grief. He'd accepted that Bucky was dead, which was different than getting over him. But Bucky wasn't dead. He'd willingly let Tony think he was dead. He'd left him, and hadn't had the decency to break up with him. 

Tony jerked back, looked away, and held out the arms of the jacket for Bucky to take and tie. He should leave, call the cops, let Bucky fix his own ass, but Tony didn't move until Bucky did. They took the elevator in silence, and Tony lead the way to his suite. It wasn't the penthouse because that was being refinished, but it was big enough Tony felt the need to point to the bathroom. 

"Go shower." Tony watched him enter the bathroom before picking up the phone and calling the front desk. Tony ordered some food, some first aid supplies and some ice. The front desk didn't even question it. Then, all Tony could do was sit on the couch and wait. Wait for Bucky to get out of the shower and explain a few things. Wait on room service to bring him the things to try and fix Bucky's butt. 

He considered calling Pepper, but he wasn't sure what, if anything, he'd ever told her about Bucky. Where would he even start? This guy I thought was the one, the love of my life, he said he loved me too. But for some reason, he left me, let me think he was dead for a decade. A deadcade, ha. When we saw him, he lied to my face. Now he's shot in the ass and wants me to fix it. Fix it, when I should shoot him myself, not in the butt, because it's a nice butt. I'm Tony Stark though, I'm not allowed nice things. 

A knock at the door pulled Tony out of his thoughts before they got too dark, and a glance through the peephole showed the expected room service cart and uniform. Tony let the guy lay out the items on the table and tipped him on his way out. He wasn't waiting on Bucky any longer, so Tony sat down and started eating his sandwich. He really wanted to drink the entire contents of the mini-fridge, but he might need steady hands for Bucky's ass surgery. 

Bucky came out a few minutes later, wrapped only in a towel and Tony forgot how swallowing worked for a moment. Bucky, alive and very well, sat across from Tony and proceeded to swallow all the food in sight. Tony offered up the last half of his sandwich in sacrifice to that cavernous maw. When the food was gone, Tony spoke. 

"To the bed, face down." That last bit was added before Bucky could make any sexual innuendos which was a distraction that Tony wanted but could not allow. With a disappointed look, Bucky faced the bed and whipped off the towel so Tony could see the ass in question, and Bucky's butt too. Bucky got comfortable and Tony checked the wound as gently as he could. It was bleeding but only sluggishly, so no major blood vessels were hit. Palpitating the area didn't show a bullet shape under the skin, so Tony cleaned the area with bactine and patted it dry. He then added antibiotic cream and covered it with gauze pads held on with medical tape. A plastic bag kept all this from getting wet as he set the ice bucket over it as an ice pack. That out of the way, he couldn't avoid finding the answers. 

"Alright," he asked softly, "how could you abandon me like that? Didn't you feel anything for me?" 

When Bucky didn't answer, Tony looked closer. The bastard was asleep. Saved by the adrenaline crash. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

The phone jarred him from a dead sleep, and Bucky reached for it. But the room phone wasn't the one making a terrible noise. Of course Tony had a mobile phone, never one to let a gadget pass him by. Tony was here! Alive and beautiful, and a lump under the blankets Bucky had been sleeping on top of. Killing the mobile or at least stopping the noise was a necessity, so Bucky could get a good look engineer blanket burrito. Omega omelette? Fine, Bucky might be hungry, but last night was reason enough for that. 

He didn't personally know the people that attacked him, but he knew why they were after him. He'd called Phil as soon as Tony had left yesterday afternoon, but not heard back from him, which had his suspicious mind racing. He doubted people were following Tony to try and get a lead on Bucky, but if they weren't, they soon would be. As much as he'd love to stare at the riot of bedhead Tony had going on, and maybe wake him with kisses, he was putting Tony in danger by being near him. When the phone went off a second time, Bucky made sure the alarm was off and set it near the Tony taquito. His ass hurt, but not as much as knowing he was going to have to leave Tony again, and make himself a visible target so his pursuers would leave Tony alone. 

Heading into the bathroom, Bucky looked around while peeing. His clothes were no longer hanging on the shower rail to dry, where he'd tried to wash out the blood last night. Washing his face, Bucky found the bathroom only contained one small washrag, not enough to preserve modesty if he had any left. And he was fighting a grin, because he did love how very tricky Tony was. 

Back in the bedroom, he found Tony's suitcase, overly stuffed as if it was full of everything he'd brought and towels and Bucky's clothes. It was also locked, with something far more secure looking than a standard luggage lock. There was a hole for a key, but also, if Bucky had to guess, a thumbprint sensor. So Tony was a trickster, Bucky loved that about him, but Bucky was subtle. Unless Tony had undergone some drastic changes to everything about him, Bucky could get him to wake up just enough to unlock the clothes and then run out on him. For his own protection and not because Bucky was an emotional coward. Kneeling beside the bed, Bucky started talking in a soft voice. 

"Hey doll, I need in the suitcase. No big deal, need to get my shampoo. Give me the key to the suitcase." Bucky kept talking, gradually growing louder, mentioning the suitcase and key as often as he could. The irritated sleeping man would give him the key just to shut him up, being so asleep he'd forget why he was hiding the key from Bucky. It had worked before, but wanting to know where Tony hid the last of that cat shit coffee (which was surprisingly good) was a little less important than this. 

It was working, Tony was twitching, freeing a hand from his cocoon to flap 'go away' at Bucky. So Bucky talked louder, and little faster. Finally, with an annoyed, sleepy grunt, Tony rolled onto his back and flipped back the blankets. Confused, Bucky looked, made an embarrassing noise and forgot how breathing worked. 

Tricky Tony was naked from the waist down, except for a red silk tie wrapped around his left thigh. Tied on that tie was a key, but there was Tony's morning chub. Hell, his pj shirt matched the red tie, and if that washrag hadn't been able to preserve Bucky's modesty before it sure wouldn't do anything now. He did want to leave a highly visible trail away from Tony, and naked with an erection would help with that. If he could, think, or maybe move. Huh, or blink. Blinking would be good. 

The phone rang, jerking Bucky's attention to it, and to where Tony's eyes were mostly open. Tony opened his eyes enough to glare at Bucky as he answered the phone. 

"I'm up, Pep." His voice was still mostly asleep, so Bucky wasn't surprised when he had to continue. "No, really, I'm getting up. Send in the coffee and I'll even put on pants." 

A grunt of agreement, and Tony dropped the phone. He then arched an eyebrow at Bucky, as if daring him to comment on the very effective trap he'd laid. Bucky knew he was grinning, but all he did was place a kiss on the thigh nearest him before standing up. This let Tony see just how effective his trap was. Tony smirked, and stretched a bit to show off. Without a word he headed for the bathroom, with an extra sway to his hips. Without a hint of shame, Bucky stroked his cock and watched. Tony made a production out of bending over to pick up the handle of the suitcase, and dragging it to the bathroom with him. Bucky wasn't even embarrassed that he orgasmed about two strokes after Tony closed the bathroom door. Short of stealing the sheets for a toga, Bucky flipped on the tv while Tony showered. Needed to check reports of last night's gunfight for clues anyway. 

Tony emerged from the bathroom dressed to kill, or at least give Bucky the start of another erection. 

"As amazing as you look in that suit doll, I don't think your castoffs will look so good on me." 

"Which is why I had your clothes sent out for overnight cleaning. They should be brought up with whatever breakfast Pepper is sending me." 

"Wait, you sent blood stained clothes that don't fit you out to be cleaned? What if they report that?" 

"It seems you left a hundred dollar bill in the back pocket. That's the sort of thing that makes a discreet staff actually forget they ever touched the clothes that are now missing money. Besides, they probably thought you were a hooker I got carried away with." 

"The people I'm running from, damn, I wish I could explain this to you, but I've really got to get away from them." 

"I figured that, but where are you going? Or are you just running away?" 

"I'm not telling, as you would try to get involved, which would put you in danger. I need to get my clothes and leave. You need to go back to Tiberius and ask for a bodyguard." 

"Ty?" Tony snorted. "Shows what you know." 

"Please, you have to take this seriously." 

"This hotel has excellent security, for a hotel, and when I'm at home, I don't need a bodyguard. I have money, which I know, you and Steve resent, but I can buy your way out of trouble. Let me help." 

"These people have money too. You can't lawyer my way out of this. Please doll, when room service comes, tell them to leave it out in the hall. Don't eat any of the food in case it's been tampered with. Once I'm dressed, I'll lead them away. I can take your phone, call you and explain when you are safe." 

"Good plan, if I believed a word of it." Tony adjusted his tie, which was ocean blue and made Bucky wonder if the red one was still hugging that tan thigh. 

"Damn it, are you trying to distract me? This is your safety and nothing is more important than that." 

"I can think of a few things." Tony muttered, so Bucky pushed past the words he wasn't sure he was supposed to hear. 

"Please have them leave the stuff in the hall." 

"How about I just rattle the chain, make them think the door is opening, so they can rush us like a bad action movie?" 

Bucky put his head in his hands, wondering if Tony had always been this hard to convince. Naturally, that was when there was a knock on the door. 

"Room service." 

Bucky looked at Tony, pleading. Tony rolled his eyes, but called out. "I'm not dressed, just leave it outside." 

There was a moment's pause, and then the voice called out. "Sorry sir, but there were special instructions about the dry cleaning." 

Tony glared at Bucky as he walked over to the door, but instead of moving the chain he rattled it loudly. A heavy thud jerked both of them to stare at the door, where someone had forced the door open. That stupid little chain that didn't look particularly effective had held though, and the man couldn't get in. There was a moment of confusion, as Tony accepted that Bucky had called it, Bucky realized that he'd been right, and the man in the door figured out the chain was holding him back. 

Bucky sprinted for the door as the man reached for the chain. Tony shoved on the door, closing it on the arm. There was a cry of pain but the arm stayed in the door. Bucky looked over Tony's head and out into the hallway and saw two other people around the big one in the door. He risked a glance at Tony to find the omega had something in his hand. When he jabbed the hand in the door with it, there was the crackle of electricity and the man went down. His hand came out of the door though, so they were able to close it and shove a nearby chair under the loosened handle . 

Grabbing Tony's hand, Bucky dragged him toward the balcony, moving him just as the silenced gunshots started. On the balcony, Tony climbed onto the decorative stonework of the wall and edged his way along. Rather than think about that, Bucky ran to the bathroom and flung himself into the first pair of Tony's pants he saw. Indecent exposure sure wouldn't help them avoid attention while on the run. Back on the balcony, Bucky copied Tony's decorative stonework shuffle until they reached the fire escape. 

Tony chose up, and Bucky let him. Hydra had a file on Bucky, had analysts who probably spent years planning his next move, but they were not prepared for Tony. Hell, Bucky wasn't prepared for Tony, and never could keep up with how he thought, and Bucky used to know Tony better than anyone alive. 

They didn't climb the fire escape all the way to the roof, instead Tony chose the floor under the penthouse. They got in the window and Tony handed Bucky his suit jacket, smirking at how Bucky looked. The jacket wouldn't button, but Bucky held it closed with as much dignity as he could muster. Tony took his hand and lead the way, in the service entrance of a rather fancy looking restaurant, serving a delicious smelling breakfast. 

Tony sauntered through, casually dragging Bucky, using his free hand to drop some cash on a waiter's tray even as he picked up a cup of coffee from it. The surprised waiter stalled, so Bucky grabbed a pancake, folded it up and started nibbling. Tony was heading for the customer entrance when he waived their joined hands at someone. It was the redhead from yesterday, and now Bucky was half naked with food in his hand. 

"Pepper, something important has popped up." Tony called to the judging redhead. "Would you be so kind as to shield SR for me?" 

Tony set the now empty coffee cup down on the hostess stand as he lead the way, but Bucky kept his pancake. He had to speak up when he realized Tony was heading for the elevator. 

"They located you, they probably ran the rental to find you, so we can't take the car and the garage is probably a trap." The elevator, worshiping Tony as all electronics and mechanical things seemed to do, had already showed up for him. Tony stepped inside and locked eyes with Bucky. Bucky followed and noticed that Tony pressed the button for the fifth floor. 

"Elevated walkways are cool." Tony mentioned. 

Bucky grinned and held out his last bite of pancake for Tony. Tony ate it out of his hand, and only stopped licking up the butter on Bucky's hand when the elevator doors opened. The sides were windows but the floor was solid, so Bucky made Tony walk in the center of the walkway. He curled around him like a human shield while checking all the sight-lines for snipers, but honestly thought Hydra was too sexist to bother learning about the hotel floor plan before sneak attacking a helpless omega. Fancy hotel with an elevated walkway to a mall of fancy stores. Tony was not an omega stereotype, even if he did get them into a clothing store, get Bucky dressed in something fitting and easy to move in, paid and down to the street level in twenty minutes. 

Finally freed from pants tailored to Tony's unique assets, Bucky followed the whirlwind with a lovesick grin on his face. He'd remembered everything about Tony, but forgot how Tony made him feel. Tony made everything brighter, more alive, and Bucky had never cared if observers thought Tony was dragging him around by his knot. When Tony found a fancy car parked badly in two parking spaces, Bucky gladly went to the passenger side. A screwdriver appeared in Tony's hand like it was spring loaded and the alarm didn't even chirp as it gave it up. Bucky had barely buckled in before the hotwired engine was ready to roll. Bucky laid the seat back as far as it would go, to keep his face from being easy to see on security cameras, and let Tony drive. Fuck Hydra, Shield would have no way to predict where Tony would go. Wait. 

"Tony, quick question. Why did you tell Pepper to shield your company?" 

"Pepper's the CFO, she runs things and I design." 

"Fascinating, as are all things you say, but why that word choice?" 

"Shield is like the CIA's tattooed cousin. We've had some dealings with them and Pepper will ask Shield to look into your situation." 

"Well, fuck." Bucky groaned. 

"Well fuck you. It'll be good to have someone else on our side."

"Babe, I'm being targeted by some dirty agents inside Shield." 

"Ah." Tony offered. "My bad. Guess if I knew more about what was going on, I could avoid accidentally setting your enemies against you." 

"Fair enough." Bucky muttered, but instead of explaining he asked a question. "Where are we headed?" 

"My high priced fancy lawyers are in New York City." 

"Lawyers make terrible human shields, they keep squirming away." The joke was out before Bucky thought about it, but it fell flat anyway. Lawyers probably couldn't help. Phil hadn't answered his phone, or called back within the allotted time. If he could talk to Phil, he could find out how they'd found him, why they were still coming after him, and how he could keep Tony safe. Safe. Once, he'd had an address for a safehouse, Phil had said it was a last resort, but it would always be safe. And that address was encoded in a book, held hostage by a jackass. 

"I owe this guy money, $8,000, give or take how much interest he thinks he can get away with. He's got a book with the address of a safehouse, a way to contact my handler." 

Tony gave a sigh and started to mutter. 

Bucky frowned at Tony's profile, the bit of him he could easily see. Tony talked, all the time, but he didn't hide what he was saying in a mutter. 

"Since when do you mutter?" Bucky asked. 

"Since I was left at the altar." Tony snapped back, whipping the car around a corner. Not being able to see the turn coming, Buck was flopped around the seat, even as the car decelerated. 

"Be right back." Tony said, as he put the car in park and got out. 

Caught off guard by Tony leaving the car, by the time Bucky had rolled out of the car, Tony was almost in the door of the bank. Bucky hurried, but there wasn't a line, and Tony was at the teller's window before Bucky caught up with him. He stood behind Tony, his protective instincts still going strong. It must have been the alpha vibes he was giving off that made the teller so pale, so Bucky looked away to reassure the teller. 

They had a TV perpendicular to the teller's desk, so a board teller or a costumer in line could both see it. And for whatever reason, it wasn't focused on adverts for the bank. No, this bank just had to have the actual news playing, where PR footage of Tony at some event played. The split screen showed a gritty screen shot, probably taken from the security footage at the hotel, of Bucky looking like a mass murderer. That could have been the face he made when he realized Tony had drunk all the coffee in his stolen mug, or when he worried about what Hydra would do to Tony, or even if he was thinking about a field of frolicking bunnies. His time on the run hadn't left him with the most expressive face. But to provide context, the chyron at the bottom helpfully stated 'Omega Staine Kidnapped.' Staine? Bucky turned his resting murder face on the tv. Wasn't Tiberius last name Stone? 

"I'm not sure that's how you're supposed to do it." Tony said, loudly enough to drag his attention away from the TV. 

The panicked clerk was loading stacks of money onto the counter. She hadn't even taken Tony's ID, as he was still holding it in one hand, wallet on the counter. Since the clerk thought they were being robbed, maybe with Tony as the hostage he brought into the bank, which, yeah, wasn't how that worked, whatever, Bucky made the executive decision. 

"We need to go." Reaching over Tony, Bucky grabbed a stack of cash, so Tony reached for the cash too. Bucky pulled him away, leaving plenty of cash still on the counter. At first Tony came willingly, so Bucky took a few extra steps when Tony pulled away. Tony was back at the counter, grabbing his wallet and before Bucky could think it through he had Tony tossed over his shoulder and was running for the exit. 

Bucky knew this was going to look awful on the security footage, but he also had no doubt the clerk had pressed the silent alarm the moment she recognized the kidnap victim. Tony squirmed his way half down before they made it out the door, so Bucky had to set him on his feet and take his hand. They stepped out into the street to see cop cars coming from both directions. The cops were confined to the streets though, so they turned and ran through the alleys. Again, Bucky let Tony lead. 

They were breathing heavy by the time Tony stopped, stood for a moment, and then dragged Bucky through a break in traffic. Bucky didn't know what they were running toward until Tony dropped his hand. They were in front of some fashionable, upscale storefronts, and someone had parked a motorcycle on the sidewalk, in everybody's way. Tony squatted on the right side of the motorcycle and Bucky figured out what was going on. Bucky grabbed the single helmet and held it out for Tony, preventing him from getting on until he'd protected his very important brain. Tony mumbled a bit as he fixed the strap, giving Bucky a moment to adjust his dick as he slid behind Tony. No, he hadn't been celibate while in hiding, but all of Bucky had a very special fondness for all of Tony. Plus, Bucky would have appreciated that ass on that motorcycle no matter what person it had been attached to. 

Tony took off fast enough that Bucky turned to look. Sure enough, the jerk who couldn't park properly had run out to yell at them. Bucky flipped him off, and settled in to enjoy the ride. He didn't need to hold on to Tony to stay on the bike, he just needed to hold on to Tony for all he could, while he planned how to save him. And he should not get used to the feeling of Tony in his arms again. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Tony was glad the motorcycle was loud enough that especially with the helmet, Bucky couldn't talk to him. He needed a little bit longer to process. He'd seen the TV screen when Bucky had started to drag him out, but he wasn't sure how the kidnapping label had got stuck on there. He knew there was a silent alarm, knew the clerk thought he was being extorted for money, just as he knew he had copies and the originals stored away with Jarvis, and yet he'd gone back for the pictures inside his wallet. 

Stupid, emotional decision. Sure, only Rhodey, Pepper, Bucky and Steve had ever seen those pictures, and they weren't graphic. If they got splashed all over the news, it wouldn't matter. Normal kids did stuff like that, it was sweet and innocent but would no longer be his. He should be used to his private stuff being news fodder. He'd told Pepper some of the story, about a college romance and the alpha that died overseas, but he had no words to say what Bucky really meant to him. 

Bucky reached over his shoulder to point, and Tony took the offered directions. Soon enough they were out of Detroit, which would be a way better place once Stark Reliance had greened it up. Pepper knew the plans for that and would take care of it, so all Tony had to do was deal with Bucky. He needed a plan. Needed to find out what was going on, fix it, spend about a month riding Bucky's knot, and then maybe, figure out if they could have a future together. So, that was a plan. Sure, it was missing a few details, but Tony couldn't fill them in without more information. And he was such a fucking pushover, he knew he'd forgive Bucky eventually, so it was really a matter of finding out if Bucky still wanted him. 

He'd attended Bucky and Steve's funerals, so, yeah, he hadn't looked for them. But Bucky knew Tony was alive, and never reached out. Bucky might not love him anymore, if he ever did, and that was going to be harder to get over than Bucky's death. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS


	2. Chapter 2

Tony followed directions well enough, until he didn't. Bucky frowned at the back of his helmet, but couldn't do much else. He thought of several salty things to say as he realized Tony was taking them through the town of Niagara falls, but didn't try to say them into the wind. He'd planned on a honeymoon with him, but he thought Tony would be too cosmopolitan for Niagara Falls. Still, now was not the time, riding a stolen motorcycle while being chased by Hydra. Genius Tony had to know this, so why was he taking them here?

Tony came to a stop where they could see _The Why Coffee Shop_ , and Bucky had an answer to his question. Well, one question, but not why Tony had come to this place out of all the places they had passed, and how Tony knew it was here. Bucky stretched as he got off the bike, stiff from a four hour cockblock. Tony fluffed his hair, and lead the way into the small shop. The stools and booths seemed to be occupied by locals, given the lack of staring into each other's eyes of newlyweds. 

Tony found them a table in the back, near the claw machine, and let Bucky sit where he could face the entrance. A waitress of a certain age appeared with two menus and a coffee carafe. Tony flipped up all four cups that were sitting on the table and gave the waitress a smile. The waitress had been through more shit than Bucky, as she only gave Tony a flat smile in return. Bucky had only caught the side of that smile and he wanted to give Tony whatever perfectly reasonable thing he was bound to ask for. Which brought Bucky back to the only thing Tony wanted, and that was information. 

The waitress left them to peruse the menus, and Tony broke the silence. 

"You've bleed through your jeans again." 

Bucky wasn't sure when Tony got the chance to study his ass, but he was aware that Tony was using his 'fly causal' voice. Trying too hard to be casual so Bucky could be sure he was closer to panicking than he liked. Which meant knowing they were in trouble was the only thing keeping Tony from dragging him to a hospital and demanding they fix him. Of course, it was totally fine for Tony to test rocket launchers barefoot, and that second degree burn on the top of his foot was fine, he didn't need to wear shoes anyway. 

"I know a guy, in Ithaca. He'd always got spare bandages around." 

"Fine." The reply was terse, but then the waitress was back. Poor thing got a full dose of Tony Stark patented charm. The matronly woman was giggling when she walked away with their orders. She'd left the carafe of coffee behind, and Bucky doctored his coffee for as long as he possibly could. 

"Steve is dead." The words popped out on their own. Hell, he sure hadn't meant to start there, but he didn't know where else to start. 

Tony closed his eyes, kept his face still, and took a long moment to process. He'd had a few years to get used to the idea, so this was just killing whatever hope had shown up when Bucky did. When he opened his eyes, Bucky continued. 

"One last mission and my hitch would be up. Was going to watch you get that PhD and then mate you proper." Tony knew that, and took a judgmental sip of coffee. 

"Right. Mission went fine, we were even done a little early. Stupidly let Steve drive. Like you, he drives faster when he's emotional, not that I knew what he planned on saying." Not that Tony needed to know what that conversation had been about, it wasn't why people where chasing them. He needed a mission report. "We arrived at the rendezvous twenty-five minutes early. The support team was loading the evacuation plane. We approached and found they were loading drugs, stolen from the local crime syndicate. Words were exchanged. Steve." 

Steve was an asshole punk who couldn't keep his damn stupid mouth shut. 

"Captain Rogers confronted the perpetrators." Tony said, encouraging him to the soldier mode that would help him get through this. 

"MP were observing the situation. Roger's interference forced them to make their presence known. Instead of going quietly, gunfire was exchanged. Brock Rumlow, would later claim it was the fog of war, but he purposely fired at Steve, point blank range. Forehead." Bucky paused to swallow down emotions. 

"Rumlow was on the op, kept trying to slow us down, so now I knew he was part of what was going on. The trial was secret, because the rot ran deep. A conspiracy, across all the service branches, DHS, fucking EPA and HUD. There were other things I'd noticed, but didn't know what they meant. My testimony put a name to the group, Hydra. Shield put me in witness protection. It was only supposed to be until they got rid of Hydra. But the only reason I can think they tried to kill me last night was that Hydra is still around. After I got out of the hospital, they let me see the news. You had just got married to Tiberius Stone, in an omega gown. You were supposed to be safe. Four months after I left, you married another alpha. What did I have to hold me back? They took Steve first, then everything." 

Tony very carefully set down his empty coffee cup. "So your failure to return is my fault?" 

But Bucky didn't hear Tony's remark. The things he carefully didn't think about were breaking through his mind. Like he said in the mechanic shop, he remembered everything. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Neither Steve or Bucky had really learned to drive before joining the army, what with being city boys. The training the military had provided had been to a purpose, so both Brooklyn boys drove it like it was a tank. Steve was driving, so Bucky was hanging on for dear life while very sure he didn't drive like that. Steve was still talking though, more about chemical castration of alphas, which, not the weirdest thing to every catch Steve's attention. His words were a nice distraction from his driving though. He was really going too fast for these muddy trails called roads, the potholes about the size of cauldrons. 

"You know I like being an alpha now that I've finally grown into it, but on the other hand I've been a skinny bit of nothing before." 

"There's a tree in the road, Stevie." 

"I see the tree, I think if we get enough of a start I can jump it." 

"You'll knock out the gunner." Bucky had to remind him. 

Steve snorted, not one to voice his opinion of a fellow soldier. "The point is, I know some triads can't handle two alphas. So, for the right omega and alpha, I could deal with being the beta." 

"That's very noble," Bucky paused speaking as a rut in the road threatened to roll them. "Do you have a couple in mind?" 

"Yeah. You know my term of service is up about 6 months after yours, so I wanted you to have that time to see if there was any way I could fit in with you and Tony." 

It took another head banging rut in the road for Bucky to really comprehend what had just been suggested. "You're in love with my Tony?" 

"I tried not to be, he's amazing. He's always challenging me. Bucky, I could never purposely hurt you. But if you fucked up with Tony I'd have been after him. I tried so hard to not to make it obvious, but I don't know how you can't see how much I love Tony. But I've always loved you, and I don't find the idea of sex with you off-putting." 

"I'm not off-putting? How romantic. Damn Stevie, this is a lot. I don't know what to say to any of it. But you seemed to have planned it, so what's next?" 

"I finish off my hitch while you decide if it's possible, if Tony would even be willing. If it's a yes, we'll see how it goes. If it's a no, which is an option. Well, I'll join up for another hitch, after watching you two get hitched." 

"Wow, man has a plan." Bucky was kind of dumbfounded and needed time to process this. He sort of understood how Tony got when he was thinking his genius thoughts and had to be slowly reintroduced to the rest of the world. Steve was in love with Tony. That was super easy to comprehend. Who could spend five minutes with the omega and not love him? But Bucky wasn't growling and posturing at the thought of Steve and Tony. Bucky was considering it, which was telling in its own way. 

"We're here a bit early." Steve said as they pulled up at the makeshift runway they were flying out of dragging Bucky out of thinking of the bomb Steve had so casually dropped. 

"Damn you asshole, I'm going to be pissing blood for a week." Brock yelled as he flopped out of the back of the truck. 

"What are those guys doing?" Steve asked, ignoring Brock. 

Bucky looked and it sure looked like their support crew was loading drugs into secret compartments of the plane. Steve stalked over and Bucky followed. Steve started yelling, demanding answers, getting in the face of the bad guys. Then somebody else was yelling, and they were surrounded, Americans without insignia. Somebody yelled for them to surrender, and somebody fired a shot. 

Bucky and Steve ran from the plane back to the truck, as it provided more cover. Not sure if anybody could be trusted except each other, they kept their shots to knees and arms. Brock ducked around the back of the truck and Steve and Bucky hesitated. He had been with them, hadn't jumped up to say he was with the bad guys, so they hesitated. Brock didn't. 

Bucky wasn't hiding those first three months of his death. First, there was a military hospital, and then Bucky was moved to the other kind of doctor. They even tried hypnosis, but Bucky couldn't remember what had happened after Steve. It just became After Steve in his mind. One minute, Steve had been there, larger than life and full of righteous indignation. Steve fell and Bucky was lost. 

Later, he'd read reports and they'd tell him what he had done, but Bucky didn't have a single memory after Steve's death. Seventeen dead, Brock missing a leg and no amount of surgery would get him his old face back. Steve was gone and Bucky wouldn't return until he was waking up from anesthesia. 

By the time he was allowed a glimpse of the outside world it was a hastily discarded magazine about the wedding of two manufacturing empires, Alpha Stone and Omega Stark. He had to read every word to believe it, the pictures of Tony in his press smile and wedding whites burned into his retinas. When Bucky woke up from being forcefully sedated that second time, he no longer had a sense of smell or a scent of his own. Null and numb, he'd agreed to witness protection. Nothing to hold him to life any longer. 

No Steve, and Tony didn't love him, but he could still hear Tony's voice in quite moments. 

"Bucky, babe, I don't know where you've gone in that head of yours, but I need to you come back to me. I don't care for this at all. You're starting to smell like violence and it's not helping us get out of the café. The alpha's don't want me to go with you, think you're going to hurt me. As if. They don't know I'm always fine. I was totally fine as seventeen year old preggers omega. I was fine left at the altar by you. No reason I wasn't fine as a grieving widower getting married in a hurry. Shit, Tony, now is not the time. Get the alpha back then self recriminate. No, my alpha will be fine, he's vet. Thank you for your understanding. Yes, thank you, carry that out to my car for me? You're amazing and way too kind. This is our car, I just got to dig the key out. Why don't you drop that in the back while I get him in the front? Thank you so much, above and beyond." 

There was the sound of an engine, the smell of food but Tony was silent, and without Tony, nothing was important. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Tony though getting a mission report out of Bucky was a good idea, letting the training help Bucky past the emotions of it. But it was obviously a mistake, as something seemed to switch off in him. Tony was having a hard time hearing about the death of Steve, a man he thought hated him, he didn't know how to live with it. So he pushed aside his curiosity and tried to bring Bucky back, soft words to get through to him, a stream of nonsense in a voice only just above a mumble. A plate clattered in the distance and Buck moved. He'd vaulted across the table and he shoved Tony under the windowsill, blocking his body from the people in the café and snipers in the windows. People didn't notice the two of them until Bucky was protecting him. Tony made his words louder, trying to reassure the whole café and bring his Bucky back. 

More words came, a mix of instructions to Bucky and apologies to the café in general. Agnes, genius that she was, included two cups of coffee in the to go bag she set on the table. Bucky snarled at her, and Tony slapped the back Bucky's head. Tony dropped five bills on the table and managed to pry Bucky out of the booth eventually. Agnes carried the food outside after them, sympathy etched onto her face. It was hard to steer from the back, being protected this way was kind of annoying, but they got outside. 

Tony saw a rich idiot with more money than sense park his convertible in a handicap space and jump out, over the door. He was barely in the convenience store before Tony climbed in the same way. The soldier that Bucky had become vaulted over the door, Tony and the front seat to land in the passenger seat. Agnes set the food behind the driver seat but gave Tony the coffee cups. 

As soon as Tony had started the car, the soldier was figuring out how to close the roof. Tony rolled his eyes but started driving. Got them out of Niagara falls as fast as he could. The coffee hadn't slopped about too bad in the cup holders. Tony jerked away from the hand that appeared in his vision, until he realized it was holding a bit of scrambled egg. 

"Oh, I'm protected now, so you flip to providing for the weak little omega. Fucking alphas." Tony muttered before taking the proffered food. If it would help with whatever was going on with Bucky, Tony'd do it. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

The act of handing food to Tony as he drove, and eating what he refused brought Bucky's instincts up and let him find peace in the act. Sure, Tony's money had paid for the food, but Bucky was providing for his omega. It wasn't until the signs started counting down the miles to Ithaca that Bucky come out of his instinct daze. He was tempted to curse his stupid alpha instincts, but that was a pretty easy recovery from a terrible incident. He hadn't had one of those in years, as he refused to think about his triggers. Usually this resulted in nightmares, but he was safely in bed when those happened, and usually alone. 

Tony's voice had been hiding his panic, trying to remain calm in a situation he didn't understand after the emotional damage of Bucky's confession, but it had still helped ground Bucky in reality. What had he said anyway, something about getting married? Did Tony still want that, or was that something he was saying to establish a story with the people in the dinner? No, he said married in a hurry, something about young omegas having to get married in a hurry. And he'd used the word fine several times. Tony, of the expansive vocabulary, photographic memory, and a hatred of boring repetition, had got stuck on the word fine. Sure, he never mumbled before, so he had changed, but he was still an expert talker. 

"Tony," Bucky had to pause to drink the dregs of a coffee and clear his throat. "At the cafe, when you talked me out of the, um..." 

"Panic attack? Flashback? A combo platter of mental trauma representations?" Tony helpfully added. 

"Yeah, that." Bucky wasn't emotionally ready to talk about that, so he moved on. "Did you say something about marriage?" 

"I was an emotionally distraught omega, you can't find meaning in anything I said." 

Bucky refrained from pointing out that emotions made Tony more truthful than he dared to be, that his impressive shields were down in that panicked moment. "So, you didn't have to get married in a hurry for a specific reason?" 

The steering wheel creaked as Tony tightened his grip, but he didn't say anything. Like Steve, Tony was an emotional driver, and if Bucky wasn't careful they'd be flying down the road and attracted way too much attention. 

"The news story I saw, you and Tiberius Stone, I knew it was staged. Just put it down to your PR department doing their jobs. But now, I wondering if maybe they were hiding a special kind of weight gain?" 

Tony was speeding now, but seemed fixed on staying silent. 

"Damn it Tony!" Bucky was surprised by the anger in his voice but not by the door handle creaking under his grip. "I have a right to know if there's a kid in danger because of me!" 

"Nope." Tony snarled back and stopped. He dropped their speed and pulled his masks up before responding. "Ty was better at math than I thought. And sneaker." His deceptively calm voice took on a mocking tone. "One drink to celebrate your wedding night won't hurt, Tony. Unless I've spiked it with enough abortion inducers to leave you bleeding out your ass for a month." 

Bucky grabbed the paper bag from lunch and returned the contents of his stomach to it. 

By the time Bucky was empty, Tony had found a place to pull over. Bucky carried the disgusting bag well away from the road. Any other day, and he would have felt bad for littering. When he was calm enough to return to the car, he felt he'd given up all rights except to ask one question. 

"Where's Ty Stone now?" 

"Dead." Tony's voice was as flat and emotionless as Bucky had tried for when he reported on Steve's death. "Ty was a licensed pilot, but those personal craft have such terrible safety records." 

Miles passed beneath their wheels in silence. Bucky regretted that he'd avoided the news, especially news about Omega Stone, as he now had to ask about such painful things. But he couldn't handle seeing Tony get on with his life, even as he prayed Tony was happy. Sure, his time with Tony had been the happiest time of his life, and Tony had seemed happy then. But Tony was amazing and he should have bent the world to his whim, to force it to make him happy. Despite being drunk the night they had first met, Tony hadn't seemed happy, but that was college stuff. Right? 

Bucky was picking up a few shifts as a bouncer while waiting for his deployment to come through. He expected the standard two years in Afghanistan or something but it had taken an extra long time. Turns out they were evaluating him for some top secret thing, but still he was left with way more time than money. Steve had been in his own basic training, having finally managed to get healthy enough to get accepted. 

Tony's hand had clearly been stamped with the under 21 in ink that reflected the blacklights of the club, yet people kept buying him drinks. Bucky had to step in and protect the beautiful omega, who'd been annoyed, until he got a good look at Bucky. Then he'd offered compromise, that instead of alcohol he could drink something only Bucky could provide. They'd flirted all night over diet cokes, and since Bucky didn't have a cell phone to give Tony his number, he'd found Tony's phone stashed in his locker at the end of the night. Well, it was only gentlemanly to return it. 

Still, you had to be eighteen to get into that club and twenty-one to drink, as the law stated. Adding it up, Tony could have managed to lie his way into the club, but not enough to drink, which was sort of the point of the club. If, like he'd said in the dinner, he was seventeen when he mated Stone, he would had to have been fourteen when he started college. That was impossible, even for a genius like Tony. Still, that was something he could look up online, unlike the other questions he'd asked Tony today. Now, he confined his words to directions. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

The farm hadn't changed much since Bucky was last here, though Clint had managed to repaint the house he kept a specially tinted purple. 

"I should have spent the last half hour attempting to explain Clint." Bucky realized out loud. 

Tony pulled up to the house as he replied. "I don't think you could have." 

"Clint is something else." Bucky agreed and warned. 

"Barnett Kale, you have got a fucking nerve!" A voice shouted from the barn. 

"Barnett Kale?" Tony asked. "Is that you?" 

"Barnett, Barnes. My handler thought he was being helpful." 

"Or you'd recently pissed him off." Tony offered, shutting off the engine. 

"Also possible." Bucky admitted, getting out so he could see Clint storming towards them from the barn. 

"Is Clint going to kill you?" Tony asked, as he slid out of the car. 

"He might be a little mad, but only enough to punch. If he wanted to shoot me, he'd have done that before he made a sound." 

"Reassuring." Tony said softly, not quite a mutter, as Clint was now close enough to hear them. 

"Barns!" Clint called and flung himself at Bucky. Expecting a punch, Bucky wasn't ready for Clint to press Bucky into the car and kiss him. Yeah, Clint had been a great friend with fantastic benefits, but this was not the reception Bucky expected after sneaking off while Clint was at the feed store. It was nice to be touched this way though, familiar and wanted. Eventually, Clint did pull away, to smile softly as he looked into Bucky's eyes. 

"You taste like vomit and stale coffee." 

The comment was as unexpected as everything else about Clint. "I've missed you too." 

Clint grinned as he stepped away, walking around to where Tony was standing in front of the car. Had he tried to come around the car to, what, keep Bucky from getting hit? Clint held his hand out for Tony to shake, which Tony reluctantly took. 

"I look forward to the day I can greet you the same why I do Barns." Clint's voice was heated, and no doubt his flirty expression was on his face. 

Oddly, this released tension in Tony's shoulders, as if he was accepting Clint as a flirt. Bucky joined them to better introduce them. 

"Tony, this is Clint. Former Army Ranger, unwitting host while I was in witness protection. Clint, this is Tony, the omega I met between sniper school and deployment." 

"Army, WITSEC, and the omega that made you unable to love. Jeze Barns, you ever heard of an info dump?" Clint griped. 

"He left out that he's been shot in that very fine ass." Tony pointed out. 

"Barnett Kale is alive and shot in the butt." Clint gave a shrug and accepted all of this. "Not how I hoped to see that ass again, but I'll make it work. Is this a bathroom or kitchen surgery?" 

"Kitchen. Probable shrapnel to dig out." Bucky reported. Suddenly, he felt exhausted. Probably because he thought of the farm as safe, and today had been emotionally exhausting. 

"Taciturn Barns day." Clint commented and got on with it. He began talking as they went inside, as Bucky helped clean off the table and pulled off his pants. Clint talked about every person Bucky had met while he was here, and then went into greater detail about the animals. Bucky was glad to know that Frisky's foal had recovered, but he didn't need to know that Karl Urban the tomcat had been run over by a tractor. 

With Bucky laid out on the table like a bizarre food choice, Clint needled something into his ass. It worked quickly, and Bucky hadn't realized the pain he was in until it stopped. Instead of Clint digging around in there, Bucky could have been getting a massage for how relaxed he was suddenly. Clint's words washed over him, but the clink of metal in a ceramic bowl accompanied by a splash made Bucky look. Sure enough, Clint was collecting Bucky's ass shrapnel in a cereal bowl. Lucky charms. 

"You are a disaster in the shape of a human being." 

"You weren't here to reinforce positive cleaning habits with blow jobs." Clint said as anther metal bit clinked into the bowl. 

"I didn't want to leave." Bucky admitted. "Phil, my handler, moved me. One of the people I testified against got out early and they found the address of my previous placement in his cell." 

"So, heartbreak Tony, is he back in your life?" 

Clint's tone was very close to Tony's 'fly casual' tone and Bucky was suddenly paying attention. A pat on the butt let him know Clint was done with his ass, at least for medicinal purposes. Was Clint asking if Bucky would come back to the farm? 

"Clint, I always told you to get off this farm and find somebody besides your nibblets." 

"Hey, is your vocabulary of ridiculous words Tony's fault?" 

Bucky looked up from pulling up his pants to look at Clint. "What?" 

"Nibblets, the gender neutral term for nieces and nephews. It's the kind of thing you'd expect a genius with a private education to know, not, you know, an army grunt." Clint helpfully gestured to all of Bucky. 

"I read a great deal. It's better than sitting in the dark and contemplating the meaninglessness of my existence." Bucky figured that would end that topic of conversation and got back to pulling up his pants. 

"I've got some clean pants I'll sell you for a million dollars." Clint offered, the soul of generosity. 

Bucky cast a judgmental glance around the kitchen. "I'd give you a million dollars if anything you owned besides your weapons were clean." 

"Awww, laundry." Clint accepted his defeat. "Would you settle for blood free?" 

"Thanks, but Tony and I should get going." 

"So, not coming back here? Not that I'm pushing, but it'll be lonely without the nibblets." 

"Aren't they just at school?" 

"I asked Laura to mate me, she said no. She's looking for a new place." 

"You don't love Laura like that." 

"That's why she said no. Barney stopped by about five months ago, to apologize." 

"So she's pregnant and abandoned, again. You offered to mate her so she'd stop letting him apologize." Bucky wrapped Clint into a hug. "I'm not in a position to help you, but I know how much you have to offer. Give Laura the farm and get the hell out of here. Laura will wise up to Barney in her own time. Meanwhile, you just might get a life." 

"Easy to say, hard to do. Guess that's what happens when you love people, even if it's not in that way." Clint shrugged his way out of the hug, if only to better side-eye Bucky. "Leaving somebody a farm might be easy if your significant other is Tony fucking Stark." 

"Assuming my past doesn't get him killed, I'll have his lawyers get you on the program to be paid not to grow anything." 

"Where do you think he went while I played with your butt?" 

"Still got that tractor that won't start?" 

"John David now says it'll cost a grand to have it hauled away for scrap. How has that price gone up?" Clint protested. 

"Tony will have found that." Bucky shrugged at Clint, and paused to add one more thing before heading for the barn. "If I get out of this alive, I'll get back in touch." 

If he didn't get out alive, Bucky was glad he'd got this little bit of closure with Clint. He'd had more one night stands than friends in this life, though he was caught up on his reading. Since Tony had showed up, he couldn't hide anymore. Tony was amazing, he shown so brightly that it would be a sin to hide his brilliance from the world. How would Tony be able to revolutionized the world if he was stuck working as a mechanic or something? And Tony probably would leave his money behind and run and hide with Bucky before he'd let Bucky disappear again. About the only way Tony could go on being Tony was for Bucky to die. Once he made sure Tony was safe, Bucky would do what needed to be done. Wanting anything more was as pointless as wishing for his life back with Tony and Steve. 

Tony was indeed working on the tractor that had never worked, muttering to it. It seemed the tractor had been horribly abused by whatever idiot had first took a wrench to it, or so Bucky gathered. It was kind of hard to hear Tony's mumbling. 

"I love the things you say to your machines. When did you start mumbling your sweet nothings?" 

"You're the only one." Tony replied without leaving the safety of the machine. "All the other alphas have encouraged me to shut up. I couldn't do that, so we compromised on me being too quiet to hear." 

"Where are Stone's remains? I feel the urge to piss on them." 

Tony glanced up at Bucky to offer him a small smile. Small but genuine, and Bucky had to take a moment to bask in it. 

"Clint's done with my butt, so we should get a move on." 

Tony ducked back into the tractor, obstinately to finish what he was doing, but Bucky knew it was a defensive tactic. 

"Clint's a friend with benefits. We held each other when we needed it." 

"It's fine. I thought you were dead, so, yeah, there was no way I could be there to give you what you needed, you had to get it somehow." 

"Clint backed off once he understood who you were. Can we not talk about this while we drive?" 

"I know blonde spitfires are your type, I just needed to process." 

"Spitfires, sure, but I've never seen you blonde." Bucky was frowning as he offered the joke. Maybe this wasn't about Clint, but then what would it be about? 

"Look, I got used to sharing you with Steve, I can share you with whomever I need to, as long as I get a share." 

"I never slept with Steve. He was the kid I looked after who turned into my brother." 

"So? Howard and Ty and Obie all made sure to let me know that sex was what the omega was for. Their lessons never stuck as well as yours, like every time Steve had to join us on a date so you had someone to talk to." Tony emerged from the work and started wiping his hands on a rag. 

"You were always enough. I love you." 

"So what?" Tony yelled, filling the barn with years of repressed anger. "So you love me. Steve was always more important. I knew that from his first glare that you refused to see. Maybe he didn't hate me the moment we met, but when the novelty wore off he couldn't put enough space between us. You stayed. I thought you had enough love for Steve and me, but I was wrong. Without Steve, you couldn't be bothered with me. Apparently you left me at the altar so you could fuck your way across the country. Did it even occur to you that I would rather have been your house omega than whatever the hell I am now? You would have made room for Steve. All that time I thought you didn't break up with me because he never told you to." 

"Steve would never..." 

"Of course he would!" 

"Only if he thought he had a chance at you!" 

"He hated me." 

"He was in love with you! Just like everybody that spent more than five minutes with the real you. We were joined at the hip since childhood, brothers in all but blood and he thought he would never hurt me. He was terrified that you would be what broke him, made him hurt me to steal his chance with you. You pushed his buttons, even ones he didn't know he had, made him act emotionally. Not sure if was going to punch you or kiss you, he tried to distance himself, tried to spend time with me and without you." 

Bucky's angry shouts had run out of steam, but his voice was almost a whisper as he got to the end. "That last op, he confessed to everything, but he was the man with the plan. Spent the trip up explaining about advances in medicines. Talking about the right combination of hormones and suppressants could make an alpha sent like a beta. Weird conversation, but I just put it down to Steve being excited about something new he'd learned. You know what he went through, about being too small to be a real alpha for most of his childhood. He offered to go back to that, chemically castrating himself, if I thought there was the slightest chance we could be a triad. Old fashioned idea, the triad, but you always accused him of being old fashioned anyway." 

"He loved you enough to put up with me." 

"Tony, we were horny alpha teenagers together, and it never occurred to us to have sex with each other. When he died, I went feral and got badly injured. But I didn't break until I saw your wedding. Haven't you wondered about my scent?" 

"Suppressants?" Tony waived to his upper left arm, where right-handed omegas had their suppressants and birth control implants. 

"I'm a null. I haven't had a rut since the last one I spent with you. My heart and body agreed that if I can't have you, I don't want anybody." 

Tony stared, eyes large and shocked. If Clint could see this, he'd understand why Bucky could never watch anime. Bucky wanted to hold the man with the anime eyes, make love to him from here to the nearest clean bed, but he knew better. Tony needed to process, to update his software with the groundbreaking idea that two people could love him. Physical proof would only be a distraction. And yeah, Steve was an asshole. Hiding how he felt even as it made Tony feel lesser and Bucky hurt that his brother didn't appreciate the love of his life. Steve told Bucky his plan and wanted Bucky's approval before approaching Tony. But Bucky hadn't even know how wrong Tony was about Steve's emotions. 

"Hey," Clint said, getting their attention. "I hate to interrupt a very emotional scene before it gets to the make-up sex, but there are a couple of Apache helicopter's heading this way. Not the usual sort of thing we get out here." 

Darting outside Bucky could see two blobs on the horizon, but he also knew about Clint's stupidly good eyesight. 

"That car is not going to outrun those," Tony pointed out, though he was looking from the dots to Clint, not sure how he could ID them. 

"The crop duster won't either, but you won't be stuck on the ground." Clint offered. 

"Sold." Bucky grabbed Tony's hand and ran for the fancy carport Clint kept his crop duster under. Clint made more money dusting crops for other farms than he could coax out of the ground, another reason Bucky thought Clint had more to offer than farming. 

"Tractor's working, thanks for the butt surgery." Tony called as they ran. 

"Are you serious?" Clint shouted back, more surprised by a working tractor than heavily armed helicopters coming after a friend. 

Clint had recognized Tony though, so Bucky thought he shouldn't be that surprised. If he wasn't running for Tony's life, Bucky might stop to school Clint on Tony's skill with machines. Since Tony never accepted help that might result from people thinking he was short, Bucky let him climb into the plane on his own. Bucky got in first, taking the pilot seat and starting the engine. Tony's seat was directly behind Bucky, much like the seating arraignment of the Apache Longbow's coming their way. 

The state of the art helicopters also had duel controls so that if either of the pilots were injured, the other one could control all aspects of the aircraft. Meanwhile, Tony and Bucky were squinting into the wind as Bucky taxied out of the carport and started to take off. Plane gathering speed, Bucky risked a look around. Tony was belted in, eyes tracking the helicopters as he counted armaments or expected payload capacity and all the numbers that told him how quickly they should die. Clint was on the roof of his barn, stringing his bow. Smoke and arrows against billions of dollars of technology. No, slings and arrows was the phrase, Bucky pointlessly corrected himself as he pulled the speeding plane into the sky. But smoke did give him an idea. 

The helicopters have no way of knowing who is in the crop duster but that doesn't stop them from heading towards them. They don't start firing right away, so they may be trying to limit civilian casualties, at least for now. Bucky knew they couldn't outrun the helicopters but he still put them behind him and flew for all the duster was worth. Keeping to the tree line helped but not as much as it would have against a larger plane. 

This put him flying past the barn where he saw Clint had his bow and arrow at the ready. When he let it fly, Bucky craned his head around to look. The arrow had something on it, something that got lodged under the windshield wiper of the first helicopter. When it went off, spitting smoke and sparks, Bucky grinned before he identified it as a road flare. It would only interfere with the pilot's vision, they still had all sorts of electronic methods of flying, but they didn't react like they knew that. They pulled up and away, trying to escape something that was attached to the front of their craft. The helicopter behind them had to turn the opposite way to avoid them, which they managed. Still, that left Bucky a minute to get things lined up. 

The second helicopter caught up to them in a matter of minutes, after giving the barn a wide berth, but they also overestimated how fast they needed to go to catch up with the duster, so they were much closer than they planned to be when Bucky emptied the chemical sprayer. The thick stuff was meant to stick to the plants and it stuck to the windshield just as well. This was where a windshield wiper was necessary on a advanced craft like a helicopter but the pilots were slow to use it. While they struggled with that, Bucky executed a nice loop that had Tony laughing. Now above the helicopter, Bucky carefully docked his landing gear with the tail roater. Bucky could land without landing gear but a helicopter couldn't fly without a tail roater. 

As the helicopter spun around and down, Bucky turned back for the farmhouse. Clint was still on the barn roof, but seemed to be yelling at the helicopter that had landed sideways in his field. Clearly, Clint was fine, so Bucky turned the duster southwest. Now he just needed a soft place to land between here and his destination. 

About three hours passed in the noisy plane with only a tiny effort at communication. He'd mouthed 'are you okay' at Tony four times before getting an eyeroll and a thumbs up. Bucky remembered Yellow Creek State Park and the lake, a great place to put a plane with damaged landing gear. It was dark by the time they got there, so Bucky circled the lake twice to get a feel for the air before signaling to Tony. His mime of landing got another eyeroll, as that was pretty obvious, but Tony did assume the crash position as best he could in the tiny seat. Then it was a matter a gently landing on the lake and getting out before the holes in the bottom let in enough water that the craft started to sink, and then swimming to the shore, finding a road or a sign so Bucky could take them to the cabins somewhere on the 3,000 acres. No Problem. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Tony had seen the same signs but let Bucky pick a direction, as he seemed to know this place existed. Tony wasn't exactly an out-of-doors person or even a low-maintenance omega. He might have had a nap on the plane, once they were out of radar range of the downed helicopters and nothing else showed up looking for them. Still he was dragging and had to fight back a whine when Bucky bypassed the first empty cabin they saw. It was right next to the only one that had a vehicle out front, a chevy suburban meant for people with more pups than money. 

Being on the run as they were, Tony agreed with the decision to keep pressing on towards the cabin furthest away. He was just super happy it was during the week and probably off tourist season for a place this far north. Fine, he had no idea where they were but he could extrapolate their speed and figure out how many miles they covered. They were not in Tahiti. 

Bucky paused in front of the cabin door as if surprised to find it locked. Another eye roll and Tony shoved him aside. Tony always found tools and spare bits of metal in his pockets, as if they were breeding in there. He certainly didn't remember picking them up or putting workshop stuff in his business suits. But it was occasionally handy, like when it let him steal a badly parked motorcycle or pick a cheap lock. 

"Why do you know how to pick a lock?" Bucky asked, almost to himself. 

"People keep trying to keep me out of places." Tony responded without thinking. The front door faced a queen size bed. It didn't have any sheets, but Tony had never seen a more inviting bed. Only one though. What the ever fuck, it won't be the first or last time Tony shared a bed with a person who claimed to love him and then treats him like a burden. 

Off to the right was a large fireplace, the kind a honeymooning couple could make love in front of, so Tony averted his eyes to the left. There was a kitchenette and the only place blocked off with walls, so it must be the bathroom. Shedding clothes as he goes, Tony calls out 'dibs' just in case Bucky couldn't figure out where Tony was going. The pipes are old and took a while to do anything or consider the possibility of producing lukewarm water and there's no soap for getting the lake water off. It's amazing. But since he's showering and no longer physically miserable or crashing from adrenaline, his stupid thoughts came circling back. 

Bucky said Steve was in love with him. Bucky didn't say what he'd told Steve. Would Bucky gladly share Tony with Steve? Should Tony have expected for Bucky to let Steve have him? Obie and Ty expected Tony to do anything for a contract. He hadn't thought of either Bucky or Steve to be that kind of alpha, but Steve said he'd try it as a beta, which made things even more complicated. 

Triads were a great plot device and there was some research saying it had been more common historically than people expected, but the specifics were hard to work out. Even Kirk, Spock and McCoy had their issues, and Steve was no Captain Kirk. Well, okay, Steve wasn't exactly mirror verse Kirk either. And, if he didn't hate Tony, which he wasn't sure he believed, well, he was really nice to other people. Hell, it was entirely plausible that Steve, maybe, didn't hate Tony, so, if given the chance, he might treat an omega was well as Bucky, or at least better than Ty or Obie. Allow Tony to work in the lab while working on the pups they'd created, and maybe one or two of them would have been blonde. 

Pups. He was going to be a terrible parent, but he'd always thought Bucky would counteract that. And yeah, Uncle Steve would have been good with the kids, once he got used to them, so daddy Steve would have really protected the kids from Tony. All of Tony's regrets in life stemmed from him not telling Bucky the moment he suspected he was pregnant. What if Bucky had refused the mission to mate his pregnant omega? He'd have still been alive. And how much harder would Bucky have fought to come back alive if he had a pup waiting? Even with Steve dead, Bucky would have come back for his pup, fought Tony's mating to Ty. A pup would have made Tony worth coming back to, but Tony couldn't even keep that pup. Tony clearly deserved Ty. 

All this time, he'd wondered what he'd done to deserve Obie, but now he knew. He'd panicked and let Howard marry him off to the first willing alpha instead of getting disinherited and trying to raise their pup. Bucky had been looking for a reason to come back, as reason to live and Tony had taken that from him. Bucky had given up his friends and career and plans because Tony couldn't hold on, couldn't wait for Bucky to come back to him. He'd ruined Bucky, made him a null, took away his winter lightning scent and knot and the universe had righted that by giving him to Obie. He didn't deserve Bucky, and the next time Obie asked him to sweeten the deal for some knothead client he might as well present like the whore Obie called him. 

"Tony. Honey doll, come back to me sweet thing." Bucky was calling to him and he was cold. And wet. The shower was off now, and Bucky was drying Tony with a threadbare towel he must have found somewhere. 

"Got lost in your dark thoughts." Bucky crooned, more words coming in a calm tone as he dried Tony, warming him up, loosening something up until words fell out of Tony's mouth. 

"I should kill myself. 

Bucky stopped moving, but Tony kept the words going. 

"I lost your pup, the last of you, after I killed Ty for that, I should have died. But it took so long to kill him, since Howard wouldn't let me divorce him, that I got numb. Thought I could perfect suppressants, live my life alone. But after Ty's death, had a come-get-the-free-omega heat. Howard was out of the country, nobody was supposed to know I was at the mansion. The heat was horrible, hot and exhausting, no satisfaction, but even then Obie still had to hold me down. To help. He was being nice, nobody else would want me, I should be grateful. Ink was barely dry on the contracts when Howard drove Mom into a tree. All I had was Obie and the weapons he wanted. Killing myself was the right thing to do, so why didn't I? Am I so egotistical I didn't realize the world would be better without me?" 

A mouth over his stopped the words and sort of brought Tony into awareness of where he was. Bucky had found sheets for the bed, and he was wrapped so tight around Tony they wouldn't need a blanket. There was even a fire nearby. But Bucky was kissing him, nothing else, just holding back the words he couldn't stand to hear with liplock. Tony let him, as he let emotional and physical exhaustion pull him into sleep. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Tony's sleep was shallow and troubled and the soldier could not leave him there. He needed to secure the perimeter, make sure the clothes he'd spread near the fire were drying. He needed to find food, transportation. He needed to wrap the omega in silk and worship him like he deserved. He needed to find every alpha that had ever touched his omega and torture them. The omega would invent a time machine so the soldier could go back in time and torture Howard. 

But not Stone. He would not take the honor of that kill from his omega. He might torture him a lot, but he'd heal in time for his fiery death. The soldier's protective instincts that would normally make him patrol and be productive informed him that the best way to protect the omega was to stay right here. It was an effort to relax his hold enough to pull out the wet towel he'd been using to dry the omega, so leaving wasn't an option. Instead he stared at the door and waited for whatever came. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS


	3. Chapter 3

Tony blinked awake to a room filled with sunlight and stale smoke. Thoughts crowded into his head, about Bucky being a figment of his imagination, a hallucination, or maybe since he was safe, Bucky had left him again. Practice let him shove those thoughts aside and do something. He didn't remember how his shower ended last night, which was worrying, but he also didn't feel like his ass had been used. But there still wasn't any soap, so he took another rinse off. The towel hanging in there was damp, so Bucky could have showered or it was from Tony's shower last night. Though, odds were against Tony remembering to hang a towel to dry; he had robots for that.

The stacks of cash in his suite pockets had been spread out to dry along with his clothes, so Tony gathered those after he was dressed. He wasn't sure of the rates for something like this, so he left a thousand dollars to cover the rental of the cabin for a night. There was a single can of spam on the table, which really wasn't the sort of thing that had a hope of bringing back Tony's appetite, not if Bucky was a hallucination. When the door opened Tony was so relieved he had to brace himself on the table. 

"Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up." Bucky apologized and kissed Tony's forehead. "Saw somebody walking behind the cabin and I had to, uh, take a look." 

Bucky was clearly trying to avoid saying he had to go all protective alpha with somebody near a sleeping Tony, so Tony let him get away with that. 

"Knothead was taking a walk. Has a wife with four pups in that cabin, and he's setting up a meeting with his mistress in town. If we hurry, we can sneak into that huge vehicle and get a ride into town." 

"And skip the breakfast you've managed to provide? Guess I'll live." Tony wished he had sunglasses to punctuate the joke, but stupid jokes that were more likely to irritate than make people laugh was the only defense he had against the idea Bucky was not a hallucination. "Excellent plan, thought I'd like to explain to the knothead what a dick move it is to leave an omega with four kids and no TV." 

Bucky made an agreeing noise, even as he toured the cabin to make sure they'd left nothing behind. He tucked the money under the spam and took Tony's hand as he stepped onto the porch. It was a much quicker walk when it wasn't dark and they weren't wet and exhausted, it was almost a couple's stroll through the woods. 

Of course, once they got closer to the cabin, Bucky served as lookout while Tony darted to the passenger side door, which put the suburban between him and the cabin. There wasn't a car alarm as nobody would steal this gas guzzling behemoth, and once Tony was in the back end, Bucky darted from the woods to join him. There was enough kid's junk to cover them up, as they lay on their sides and faced each other. Unless this knothead was really paranoid and did a thorough inspection of his vehicle before every ride, they'd be in town soon. 

"Once we get to town, get some brunch, I'll get my book. I'll get in touch with my handler, he'll fix this." 

Tony was saved from having to answer this hopeful pronouncement that didn't dare look any further than today, by the arrival of their driver. Now he reached out and took Bucky's hand and didn't answer. It wasn't because he didn't have an answer but only because they had to be quiet to avoid detection. Really. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Bucky bounced his way into town, feeling like Woody in the Pizza Planet delivery truck, while Tony was his snug looking Buzz. Yes, he'd put the toolbox behind him so it wouldn't bounce into Tony but it seemed to jab right into his butt wound at every chance. Tony had actually held his hand out for Bucky to grab, and he'd been so happy to see Bucky this morning. Something dangerously close to hope was sinking into Bucky's chest, making him grin. 

He had to keep himself from daring to think about what if. What if he found a way to get out of this and into Tony's life? He didn't feel like he'd slept much last night but he vividly remembered dreams about skinning faceless alphas alive. So, kind of a strange night. Now, he could have napped, maybe, but instead he laid here and tried to memorize Tony's face. All too soon, the jackass cheater knothead parked, locking the doors as he got out. They waited ten minutes or so before daring to poke their heads up and exit from the vehicle. 

It wasn't a part of town Bucky was too familiar with, but they were near a cafe. Holding hands, they went in for coffee and whatever actual food he could force into Tony. Dude seriously needed to eat more, if only to reduce the amount of hand feeding Bucky wanted to do. They sat on the counter so Tony could get quick coffee refills and talked about inconsequential things. As they got ready to leave, Bucky casually mentioned their destination was on the other side of town. He was thinking of the bus, but didn't mention that to Tony. 

"Hey." Tony had found the youngest guy in the cafe, who looked like he was skipping high school to work there. Tony held up a folded bill, folded so it wasn't easy to see the denomination. Tony didn't seem to understand public transportation or subtly. "I need a ride." 

"I can get you an Uber." The kid was quick to offer. 

"The gig economy is a scam, especially in places that don't have universal health care." Tony casually informed the kid. "Is there a cab company in town?" 

"I can call them." The kid was nodding, though he looked confused. He made the call and only then did Tony hand over the bill. The kid dropped it into his tip pocket without looking at it, which was probably the only thing that kept the situation calm. 

As they walked outside to wait on the cab, Bucky tried not to think about what he'd found in Tony's pockets last night. The bank teller had handed over stacks of cash, but it seemed most of them were hundred dollar bills, so any other money Tony had on him was change from using those bills. And Tony didn't often stick around to collect his change, as he'd put a folded hundred under his plate in this very cafe. Bucky had never got used to Tony's casual attitude about money, and he might have been a jerk about it. But with the years between them, he could see how that tip would give that kid a spot of relief in a crazy life. Tony was playing the hand he was dealt and Bucky loved him, full stop. He would never be worthy of Tony's generous heart but he would still strive for that. 

"Huh." 

"What?" Tony asked, looking to see what had Bucky's attention. 

"Wait here, I"ll be right back." The kiss to Tony's forehead was a natural expression of love, or so it felt. Bucky'd done it without thinking about it, as his brain was on the cheating knothead. The guy was on the corner, glaring at his phone. He certainly didn't have the relaxed countenance of an alpha who'd just got laid. So maybe they needed to be subtle because they were on the run, but Bucky could still try and teach their ride to town a lesson. He pulled up the thick Russian accent he'd used on Tony at the service station. Sliding beside him, Bucky looked down on the man and hoped his greasy hair sold his part. 

"My omega and pup were taken from me. Made me what you call null. If I take your omega and pups, that will fix me, da?" 

The knothead paled as his tiny brain tried to pick between fight and protect. Bucky must be giving off enough of a 'I can take you' vibe that the alpha wasn't sure he could win a fight, not against a packless null of an alpha. But he should also be home, ready to protect his omega and pups, should this alpha show up there. Yeah, he was stuck, so Bucky gave him a tiny push. 

"Nulls like to hear of lonely omega in the woods." 

The knothead turned and ran towards his suburban. Tony was holding the door open on a cab but grinning at Bucky as he came jogging back. Bucky could have been shot in the head in that moment and it would have been worth it for Tony's smile. 

"Who was that?" Tony asked as he slid into the cab. 

"He's staying at the camp ground." Bucky replied as he got his seat belt on. 

"So where is this driver going?" Tony asked, knowing the guy Bucky had just chased off was their earlier driver. 

"Thor's Gym." Bucky told the cabbie, who nodded even as he pulled away. "What did you say to him?" Tony asked, not needing to specify the conversation he hadn't heard. 

"Just an alpha to alpha chat about the importance of respecting omegas." 

"Sure." Tony agreed in a voice that disagreed with his voiced agreement. 

Bucky smiled and kissed the top of Tony's head. Grinning like the lovesick fool he was, Bucky let the cab take them where they needed to go. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

When Bucky smiled like that, Tony had to force his eyes away. Bucky looked ten years younger and so beautiful it hurt to look at. Tony held him instead of looking at him and tried not to think. That wasn't really something Tony was good at, not thinking, so he tried to direct his thoughts to practical matters. He still owed Obie a weapon for the body armor he'd been working on, one of his vanity projects. 

He'd need a weapon to apologize for being kidnapped. A weapon to exchange for protecting Bucky. A weapon to cover the expense of Bucky's lawyers, and probably a weapon just because Obie was a dick. So five brand new weapon designs for Obie to sell, or one really fantastic one. 

He had the Jericho designed, it was just in his head. He'd hesitated to offer it to Obie when he'd thought of it simply because it could kill so many. Take out a wall or four and anybody behind that wall, no matter what side they were on, could get killed. But the Jericho was big enough, flashy enough, just the idea would get Obie hard. And if Tony had actual figures for production costs and how much the military would pay, Obie would be so happy he'd let Tony have another pet project; keeping Bucky from being killed. Yeah, Bucky would go back to Clint or one of the other lives he'd lived while they were apart, but he'd be alive. And once Bucky was taken care of, well, the universe wouldn't need Tony around anymore. Trade the Jericho for a happy Bucky and get the hell out of Dodge, yeah, that was a good plan. 

But, Tony would have to be careful with his presentation. See what Obie would ask for, argue him down to what he could before dragging the idea of the Jericho out of Tony as a possibility. No matter what, Obie must never find out how important Bucky was to Tony. College sweetheart would have to do, since 'the only alpha I'll ever love since Steve was killed before I got the chance to find out if I could love him like he supposedly loved me' was really more than Obie wanted to hear out of Tony. And Tony knew he was likely to say that sort of thing out loud, even if it was now a mumble. 

Mumbling had saved his ass several times, no matter what kind of hang up Bucky had about it. He'd dared to notice the ideas that Obie had rejected had come out of SI R&D a little while after Tony had had them and mentioned that where Obie could hear him. Obie had tied him to a breeding stand for a week to remind him of his place. He'd recovered from that, but not the way that Obie had shut down one of his vanity projects, the Maria Stark Foundation. 

"Save that file, doll, we're here." Bucky said, like he used to, when he knew Tony was deep in thought and he didn't want Tony to forget one of his important, genius ideas. 

"Sap." Tony managed to get out, keeping his suddenly moist eyes looking out the window. Thor's gym appeared outside the cab's windows, and Tony took a look, even as he handed the cabbie some money. 

"Keep the change." He remarked on autopilot. 

The gym was a nice place, large windows letting passerby's see inside, except for one window. It had a mural of Thor the Norse god painted on it. The blonde with his helmet and hammer, glaring out across the street. A quick look showed he was glaring at Silversmith Salon, which looked to be a very upscale hairstylist. 

Inside the gym was a guy in running shorts and a tank top, who had the shoulders and hair of the painting in the window if not the outfit. He was helping a guy so normal looking his name was probably Darrell or something, so the place got an interesting mix of clients. Bucky was quick to reclaim Tony's hand and gently pulled him into the gym. 

A bell over the door gave a tinkling sound more reminiscent of aromatherapy shop than a gym, but it got probably Thor's attention. He turned and his grin got even bigger when he saw Bucky. Which, fair enough. Thor raced across the gym to pull Bucky into a spinning bear hug, and giving Tony a clear idea of just how big the guy was. A glance showed Darrell looked relieved to be left to his own devices for a few minutes. 

"Jamie B. Polk, you have graced us with your presence!" Thor proclaimed. 

Tony half expected a scribe in robes to come in and make an official recording of the proclamation. Hopefully this guy was playing up his name for all it was worth, and he was indeed Thor, or he was insane and Tony's taser watch wouldn't have stunned him, even if it had been recharged since the hotel or not drowned last night. Another look showed Darrell wasn't even reacting, so what, Thor was always this way? Was that reassuring? 

"If you left to seek this honeyed treasure, I must approve of that decision." Thor added. Confused, Tony turned back to see Thor was hugging Bucky but giving Tony a heated stare. 

"Thor, Tony." Bucky introduced them from squished into Thor's chest. "Tony, yes his name really is Thor, so his brother goes by Loki. Thor, I can't see your face, but I know you well enough to tell you not to look at Tony that way." 

Thor laughed heartily as he reintroduced Bucky's feet to the floor. When he looked at Tony again, the heat was gone, but he was still smiling. "It hurts not to make the effort for such a beauty." 

Considering he was greasy, unshaven and generally unkempt, Tony laughed a little in response. Delighted by something, Thor turned back to Bucky. 

"Loki will be pleased to see you again, Jamie, though I know not how he will respond to the beauteous Tony on your arm." 

"Well, that's one of the reasons I might skip out on talking to him today." Bucky spoke with hesitance. "When I left, I owed Loki some money. We've got the money, but we're in a hurry. I'm so sorry to ask, but could you trade out the money for my book? We have to get going. I promise I will explain everything the first chance I get, but I don't have time for Loki's..." 

"For Loki's what?" The questioning voice was not Darrell, Tony knew that even as he startled and tried to find the source of the voice. The tall man behind Bucky was beautiful and wore his omega nature proudly. Which made it all the more impressive that he'd snuck up on two alphas, a jealous omega and Darrell. The door hadn't even made that annoying tinkling sound when he came in, and he wasn't dressed for working out. 

"I don't have time to give Loki the kind of apology he rightly deserves." Bucky carefully finished his interrupted sentence before turning to smile at Loki. "It's not that I don't want to see you, I'm just in a tiny bit of trouble. You know I enjoy playing games with you." 

Tony looked to Thor before he could see Bucky's own heated look or think too hard about the games one would play with Loki. Thor was watching bemusedly, so he had no problem with whatever had happened. Looking back at Loki, Tony was hit by a desire to go stand by Darrell and the other normal looking humans of the world. Loki exuded the effortless sexuality and grace that Tony had to train himself to put on in public. Loki looked supremely unconcerned with Tony, as if he thought, even with Tony right there, Loki could claim Bucky if he felt the urge. 

"Jamie," Loki curled the name around his mouth until it sounded exotic. "I have seen the news, but I think you can make time to make that exchange with me. And you can do my hair." 

"Wait, what?" Tony asked, his mouth faster than his tiny supply of common sense. Suddenly, he was the full target of Loki's attention. His eyes seemed to track how Tony's uncombed hair was starting to curl without the gel to keep it sexy. Even with the slower facial hair growth that come from being an omega, Tony still had hair growth in his van dyke. 

"Tony, in your short time with Jamie, what has he told you of himself? He was never embarrassed about what he did when he was with me." 

Tony was judged, found wanting, and dismissed as competition for anything Loki wanted. But Tony was used to that. What he hadn't been used to was walking into Bucky's apartment and finding him in the bathroom, cutting Steve's hair. They'd laughed about it, made stupid jokes, but when Tony had asked Bucky said he only knew how to do buzzcuts. 

Six months later when Tony had actually needed a haircut, he'd jokingly asked again. Bucky had agreed and taken him to the bathroom. He'd started with a scalp massage and well, the next morning Tony had looked like a fucked out mess but his hair had been fantastic. So, yeah, Tony might be slightly jealous that Loki got the same treatment, and maybe Thor, but Bucky had always refused to cut hair for money. Still, it was a skill that Bucky had, and Tony had no problem with the alpha doing what he needed to survive. Tony knew that and Loki didn't. That's right, he might feel like he belonged with Darrell, but he was Tony fucking Stark. Dropping his gaze, Tony worked his way up Loki's long frame, before looking up through his eyelashes at Loki. "Jamie has very skilled hands." Tony graciously admitted. "But I'm the one with the money you are so desperate for." 

Loki's lips twitched as if he was fighting back a smile. "I look forward to getting to know you, Anthony Stane. For now, I will get the book and meet you at the salon." 

Loki strolled away, master of his universe. This time, the door did tinkle when he opened it. 

"Careful, Jamie, Loki is intrigued." Thor warned, though he seemed happy about the warning, or Loki, or life in general. And, now that Tony thought about it, he was pretty sure Thor had been staring at Loki's ass as he left. Yeah, moving on. 

"Thor," Bucky said as they walked towards the door, "I'll explain if I get the chance." 

Thor said something in reply, but one word was taking all of Tony's focus. If. Why would Bucky not get the chance to explain? He could call Thor while the lawyers worked, he didn't have to wait until after he got clear of the situation. So if Bucky didn't get a chance to explain, he'd have to be dead. And Bucky had said if, which meant he had figured that out. He also didn't say we, and Bucky was the guy who stood between Steve and everything the world had thrown at him. Bucky was the guy who gave up everything to testify, who put his life between the bad guys and their freedom. Bucky was planning to stand between Tony and any bullets. Well, fuck that. 

Tony stopped and planted his weight. He was a short omega, but he enjoyed picking up heavy things and forcing them into new shapes, so when he stopped, so did Bucky. They were in the middle of the street but Tony didn't care. When Bucky turned his head to look back, confused at Tony's hesitation, Tony spoke. 

"Are you planning on doing something stupid and pointless?" 

When Bucky dared to look confused, Tony continued. 

"Don't you dare make me attend a second funeral for you." 

Bucky's showed surprised and guilt before settling into the emotionless mask he'd perfected since they were apart. Tony pulled and Bucky turned to face him. 

"I will put a bullet in my head if you die on me again. The idea has been in my head since I was twelve years old. Your second death will be the thing that breaks me." 

Bucky looked stricken and opened his mouth to say something. 

"Freeze! Police!" The excited young voice cracked in the middle of police, ruining his authority. 

Turning his glare away from Bucky, Tony offered a confused but pleasant expression to the officer on his right. 

The cop looked way too young for his uniform, and this was probably the first exciting thing that had happened to him on duty in this little town. The cop on the left was older, but not by much, which made Tony wonder how the two got partnered up. Shouldn't there be an older one showing the other the ropes? That's how it worked in the buddy cop movies. In the comedies, the guys with projectile weapons faced each other, so all the good guys had to do was duck and the bad guys would shoot each other. Since that was the situation they were now in, Tony guessed that gag was too old for this crowd. Besides being young and innocent, the cops were also under misinformation, thinking Tony was a kidnap victim. 

"Hey officers," Tony started talking, casually and calmly, hoping to talk his way out of this. "I saw the news, but let me just say, this is not what it looks like. Really, nobody has been kidnapped here. Well, here and now, I've been kidnapped a few times, this is me losing my phone just before an old friend came to visit." 

The cops looked to each other for guidance, so Tony decided to provide that guidance. 

"We were traveling, and I noticed how scruffy looking I've been getting. No point in letting standards slid, you know, so I was just going into this lovely salon for some work. I've got another idea. While I'm in the salon, and making this right will take at least an hour, you can check in with the station. Make sure that whole "bring him in" thing is still going on. If it is, I'll be here waiting and pretty once again." 

"We can call them now." The youngest one asked, though he meant for it to be a declaration. 

"Sure, I'll get you some mani-pedi's while we check in with them." 

"No. We are all going to the station right now." The older one commanded. 

"Are you interfering with my business?" Loki demanded as he moved between the older cop and Tony. A look to the right showed Thor's back and not much of the world beyond. 

"Officer Maclay, had you stuck to the regime I designed for you, you would not need a gun for this interaction." 

Tony took the distraction and leaned in to whisper to Bucky. "I'll get the book, you get transportation and if all else fails we'll meet back at the breakfast cafe." 

Bucky frowned heavily enough to put lines in his lines, but he nodded. As Tony moved over to help Loki, Bucky slipped into the salon. 

"Loki, darling." Tony did his version of a privileged rich bitch omega, which was pretty spot on. "Be nice to the help. I promise to pay for my appointment, even if I have to go with the officers. And no matter what happens, I will tell so many people about you they'll have to open a private airfield for the tourism dollars coming directly to this street." 

"Yes, these officers do a good job of keeping this street safe." Loki admitted, sighed and addressed the officer. "I do apologize, I simply got carried away by exposure for my salon that could result from having omega Stane as a happy customer. To make it up to you, perhaps I could tempt you to visit my salon? I know you need a practical haircut, one that is within regulations, but that doesn't mean it can't flatter your natural charms." 

The officer wasn't ready for Loki's charm and had to look away, almost blushing. But the officer was observant, even when flustered. "Where'd that alpha go?" 

"I am here." Thor called, turning around to smile at the officer. The other officer took several steps to the side so he could see around Thor. 

"The one with omega Stane." The cop retorted. 

Thor stepped up to put a warm hand on Tony's shoulder. "I would be most honored to be the alpha with Tony." 

"Thanks, blonde Keanu," Tony responded, "but I think I'd get lost in the valley between your pecs." 

"I'd tell you to get a room," Loki offered, "but I am far more interested in getting Anthony into my rooms." 

Seized by an idea, Tony turned to Loki. "How about this? How about I give you whatever cash I have in my pocket and a business card. That'll reserve my spot and you can call me later if I owe you anything. Meanwhile, I can go straighten out this misunderstanding?" 

The cash was easier to find than the business card, as Tony didn't really give out his numbers to people. But he handed the business card over with his right hand, held up where it could be seen. Meanwhile, the wad of cash was mostly hidden by his hands, down low where it was harder to see was also handed over. It disappeared into Loki's possession like a magician's pass as Loki made a show of tucking the business card away. 

"Since you are going to the station, and there is no telling how long that will take, would you like a book?" Loki held out a book, and Tony made sure he looked surprised and thankful as he took it. Except Loki didn't let go right away. "My business card is a place-marker, so make sure you call me." 

"I will do so." Tony promised, and he actually meant it, he thought he might like to get a drink with Loki. Pocketing the book without looking at it, Tony turned towards the cops. They had put away their guns, as Bucky was gone and Tony seemed willing enough to go with them. "So, where did you guys park?" 

"This way." The younger one was eager to get Tony moving it seemed, as he lead the way. Tony didn't see the car, so they must have driven by, seen Tony and Bucky, parked out of sight and snuck up on them while Tony made a target of himself by having an important conversation in the middle of the road like a moron. Whatever, they were either both coming out of this alive or dead. Bucky was not allowed to martyr his fool-ass self and leave Tony again. The cops let some space get between them as they went towards to patrol car, and since they were on the street they didn't pay much attention to the sound of motors around them. Tony heard one start up, and was ready to jump on when the motorcycle slowed down next to him. The cops yelled as helmeted Bucky took off, and so did Thor. 

"My Valkrie!" 

A quick look between Bucky's thighs confirmed they were on a newer model Honda Valkrie, done in black with lightning bolts trailing around it. Bucky's helmet looked like a Viking helmet, though the horns were only painted on. The helmet on the seat in front of Bucky was green with gold snakes as a trim. Bucky expertly took them through alleys until he felt safe enough to stop and, sure enough, force Tony into the helmet. Then they were off again, and Tony got to hug himself to Bucky. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Bucky found a hotel about an hour outside of New York City, depending on the traffic, and left Tony to smell the pollution while he went inside to get them a room. After unlocking the door to let Tony in, Bucky walked Thor's bike inside as well. Besides keeping it from being stolen, this also put a solid barrier between them and anybody who might have tracked them. Tony handed over the copy of _Crime and Punishment_ with only a snort at the idea of that being Bucky's coded address book while on the run. 

This shower included a little soap, a tiny shampoo and the amazingness that was cheap lotion. Tony even made sure to leave a scrap of soap and a tiny bit of shampoo for Bucky, even though he was rocking the hobo chic. Bucky still didn't smell like himself, so he wasn't kidding about Tony breaking him, making him a null. Clearly, his dick still worked, and Tony was not going to ask just how many people could back that up. 

Not like Tony was a nun, and he was sort of trying for null status with his birth control and heat suppressants. And for every chemical in his system was something else he'd built to hurt people, traded to Obie for a tiny bit of autonomy. Something good and still fucking profitable like green energy was a vanity project Tony had to buy with a sonic device for mapping out caves. Obie had given Tony to Ross for the night since Tony hadn't figured out how to make the sonic mapper kill the insurgents it might find. Tony had figured that out, but not how to tell the difference between an insurgent and a prisoner, not without an A.I. But yeah, trying to make the world a better place was about Tony's ego, like he was Thomas 'fry an elephant' Edison. And Tony had to go back to that. 

Maybe he could convince Bucky to give him something to remember the next time Obie whored him out. Go out into the room strategically damp from the shower, towel around his waist. Push the book aside and straddle those thighs. Yeah, a little stretching in the shower just might help with that, hand on the dick to get the juices flowing, slide the other up and stretch himself out, hand on the head tickling his hair. And that was a confusing math problem that stopped everything for a moment. Slowly, Tony moved the shower curtain aside. With the way clear, he shoved the thing off his head and made a leap for the safety of the bathroom, letting out a war cry. The door slammed open, digging a hole in the plaster as an armed Bucky arrived, gun first. 

"Tentacle monster in the shower." Tony calmly, decisively and not at all panicky informed him. Bucky prowled forward, and scanned the shower. Turning off the water, he stepped one foot into the shower and dealt with whatever was in there. 

"It was a roach, babe." Moving to sit on the side of the tub, he started pulling off his bug splattered boots. 

"Did the gun come with the bike?" Tony asked, the better to distract from his embarrassment. 

"Loki keeps it to protect his salon." 

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd used it on that thing in the shower. It did attack me." 

Bucky ducked his head, giving his second boot much more attention than it deserved. 

"Oh, you better not be laughing at me." 

Bucky looked up and seemed to take in Tony's lack of attire for the first time. "Oh, honey doll, mockery is the last thing I want to do to you." 

"You should act on that thought, the one I can see in your lust blown eyes." 

"But you have..." 

"If that sentence is about to reference any alpha but yourself, let me stop you right there. You are the only alpha I have ever chosen. Can you respect my choice?" 

The bathroom wasn't that big, so when Bucky slid off the tub and to his knees, he didn't have far to crawl to get to Tony. That was kind of a shame because the panther crawl was making Tony forget all about his dance with the devil cockroach in the shower. Bucky was also the only alpha who had ever shown interest in Tony's cock, so he came embarrassingly quickly. Bucky swallowed it down, and carried a weak-kneed Tony to the bed. 

He ate Tony out until he came again, and fingered him during a blow job until he came a third time. Bucky took the time needed to get Tony hard a fourth time before he slid in. He didn't make Tony present, preferring the much more intimate act of looking him in the eyes. They both came quickly that way, and Bucky's knot never popped to lock them together. But still, he rested in Tony, showing he would knot him if he could, and held him until they fell asleep. Tony tucked his face into Bucky's neck and was glad that sleep claimed him before the tears. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Reverse osmosis was totally a real thing, because Bucky woke up with a genius idea, and his morning wood in said genius. When Tony woke up, Bucky was going to make love to him one more time. He was going to take Tony to Stane Tower, and once he was safe, Bucky was going to burn hydra to the ground and salt the earth. Sure, he might get killed, but to steal a quote from Shawshank Redemption, time to get busy living or get busy dying. He could not live without Tony any longer, not even the half alive, null thing he'd been doing since Steve died. He'd forgotten more than how to knot, he'd forgotten he was a BAMF. 

He'd been singled out in sniper school and asked to join an elite top secret group. He had all sorts of experience that could come in handy, and that was before all this. Loki had taught him slight of hand, Thor had taught him different fighting techniques. Clint had taught him archery, which, granted, might not be as helpful as the dirty fighting tricks he'd also taught. Because he couldn't stand to get lost in his memories, the what if's of how his life should have gone, Bucky had taken classes and read books and anything he could do to keep those thoughts at bay. 

He'd trusted the system and the system had taken everything from him. He'd take everything from Hydra, or die trying, and come back for Tony. This Stane person could try to keep him from Tony, but that wouldn't be the healthiest decision. Maybe Tony's alpha would be there when Bucky dropped him off. Then, Bucky could break his nose and sneak out while Tony was laughing. Tony had hinted that he was miserable and Bucky was sure there was more to the story but he didn't remember Tony saying anything specific. Deep in his soul Bucky knew Stane deserved more than a punch in the nose, but Stane had kept Tony safe for all this time. It fucking sucked that Tony wasn't allowed to keep himself safe, but Bucky could only fight one impossible battle at a time. 

Right now his to-do list involved getting Tony back to Stane before Tony realized what was happening, ditch him without falling on the ground and sobbing about how unfair it was, track down a secret organization that existed inside the power structures of the government, kill all the members while finding proof of their guilt, come back alive, dismember Stane and mate Tony. Then he'd work on omega rights. 

He should probably shower first. Forcing his arms to let go, and then his legs, Bucky eventually made it to the bathroom. He caught a glimpse his face which turned into a long look. Dried tear tracks on his face. He was so glad Tony had fallen asleep before he could see Bucky cry. He didn't even remember doing it, maybe his memory was going. 

When Stevie had been killed, the shrinks had said he was disassociating, but he hadn't done that since. Well, at least not that he was aware of. Shaking his head, Bucky took a quick shower. Clean and wet, he returned to find Tony snuggling with the pillow Bucky had been using. Not sure what else to do, Bucky woke him with a blow job. Tony responded beautifully, and when he was done he'd spread his legs in invitation. 

They left the hotel much later than Bucky planned, and Tony felt so snugly he didn't even argue that he should drive. Or that could have been because Thor's bike was set up for a much taller person than Tony and he'd have to make adjustments to comfortably ride it, but Tony couldn't admit to that without admitting he wasn't as tall as Thor. He'd got away with it on the other bike because it was a crotch rocket. But he got stiffer the closer they got to the tower. When he pointed the way to an underground garage at the tower, he was sitting on his own, not touching Bucky in any way. Falling out on the ground and crying about how unfair life was sounded better all the time. 

The Tony that road up in the elevator with Bucky was a very different person than the kola Bucky had rode into town with. They weren't touching at all, and Tony's face was back in the pleasant face he wore for the press. It was fake and Bucky hated it, what he could see reflected back to him in the shiny surface of the elevator. It hurt how much Tony had to hide himself away from the world. Bucky wanted to demand his Tony back, but he had not right to that, and no right to give Tony false hope that he would come back for him. Bucky could see the floors whipping by and blurted out the only thing he could think off as the elevator car slowed for the penthouse. 

"I love you." 

Before Tony could offer a response beyond a fake smile, the elevator doors opened. Alerted by the ding of the elevator, every eye in the room turned to stare at the new arrivals. It was every criminal's worst nightmare, elevator doors opening on a room full of suits and tac gear, all probably armed. Directly across from the elevator was an imposing desk, behind which sat a tall, bearded man with a bald head in a expensive business suit. Him and the suit standing next to him might be the only ones unarmed. 

Eye-patch guy in the leather trench coat on the other side of bald sitting guy was definitely armed and reaching for something. Tony recovered first though, and was already slipping in front of Bucky. Bucky locked his knees to prevent the sudden, stupid instinct that wanted him to be a body shield for his omega. They would shoot him down in an instant if he did that. It also helped that Tony ran a comforting arm around Bucky's waist as he moved in front of him, calming that instinct. Tony was ready with his press smile and shields up, so he made himself the focus of attention. 

"Hey, Obie, I didn't know you were busy. We can come back?" Tony offered, as if that was even a possibility. 

"Tony, I've been worried sick." The man at the center of it all said, but his voice didn't hold the slightest bit of concern. 

This must be Obie Stane, the alpha Bucky needed to de-knot with a rusty spoon. Frowning, Bucky tried to beat back the hatred he felt for this man, putting it down to alpha posturing. This also left Bucky slightly distracted when all the cops in the room started pulling their guns, casually aiming towards the elevator. One of the suits was muttering into his wrist, no doubt alerting people downstairs to watch for fleeing bad guys. Another one was holding the elevator button, keeping the doors from closing, gun in his other hand. 

"Tony, I need you to come here." Obie ordered. 

"Sure, once all those nasty guns are put back where they came from." Tony agreed readily but didn't move. Tony knew more about guns that Bucky did, but he would play the scared omega if it got him what he wanted. Tony had often said, if people were going to underestimate him, he would absolutely take advantage. "I saw the news, some crazy thing about a kidnapping? Now I know I didn't call Obie, but a kidnapper would have called in a ransom. I know kidnappings, you know that, and so you have to know this wasn't a kidnapping. So if all the guns go away, we can sit down and talk about this. Guns down, words out." 

"A very reasonable suggestion." Obie didn't sound at all worried that Tony was being forced to ask for this concession. 

Bucky fought back the very real desire to skin Obie alive. WTF alpha brain? 

"But Tony, before that can happen, these officers of the law will need to search the alpha." 

Calling him an alpha meant Obie knew who Bucky was, as he didn't smell like an alpha any longer and Obie couldn't have smelled him from back there. So much for what the news had said about an unidentified kidnapper. 

"That's more than fair, no problem with searching him. You could even search me if you wanted." Tony offered holding his hands out to his side and taken a step forward in offering. This let Bucky see Loki's gun, tucked in Tony's waistband. He'd taken the gun from Bucky when he'd petted him, and now he was letting Bucky know where it was if things went bad. Things were about to go very bad indeed, and the omega was amazing. 

"That won't be necessary." Obie called attention back to him. "I don't want anybody else touching you." 

Tony edged forward and slid to the side, getting his back to the wall. A couple of uniforms rushed into the elevator, but not more people than Bucky felt he could take out. One even put his gun away to better pat Bucky down. Now the uniformed cops were acting as Bucky's body shield while Tony protected him with words. 

"I don't know everybody here, Obie, and I don't see the top brass of the military, which confuses me just a bit. Which one of you decided to send two Apache Longbow Helicopters with a full payload of live ammo to retrieve a kidnap victim?" 

"That training accident in upstate New York?" A blonde in a suit asked. He was about the same height as Tony, so hobbit sized. "Did the two of you take out those helicopters?" 

"We had help." Tony admitted magnanimously. "From a guy with a longbow," here he paused for dramatic effect, "and a couple of arrows." 

"Bow and arrows took out a helicopter?" Bilbo asked. 

"No weapons." The guy patting down Bucky said in the pause. "Who is this man, Tony?" Obie at least was talking to Tony, but with an expectation of obedience that got Bucky's instincts up. 

"Barns, James B. Sergeant." Bucky stopped before he growled out his serial number. 

"Old sweetheart then." Obie's condensation was enough to spread between Tony and Bucky. 

Bucky growled. 

"Barnes, Obie, put away the posturing. Everybody else, put away the guns before you shoot an unarmed man in front of all my security cameras." 

"I shut down most of your vanity projects the instant you were kidnapped, Tony." Stane sent some sort of message in that sentence, one Tony understood as his body posture got even stiffer. 

"Barnes is the asset Coulson died to protect." Eyepatch announced to the world at large. 

Most of the suits shifted their focus, looking at Bucky in a new light. 

"Phil's dead?" Talking hurt and Bucky wasn't ready to process Phil's death just yet so he shut down a little. 

"He was bleeding out trying to delete your case from the computers when he was found." Eye patch replied. 

With Phil dead, with the files gone from the computer, Bucky had no proof for anything he said. He could try to explain it all, build the cases back up, or he could go with his plan from this morning and track them all down on his own. It meant leaving Tony with this jackass, but alive. He hoped Tony would never give this man a child because what kind of name would he give his own kid when his parents had named him Obie. No, Tony loved nicknames, what would Obie be short for? Obadiah. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Afghanistan was a dry country and the Americans were supposed to avoid alcohol while there. Clearly, they didn't know Americans. Bucky was a highly sought after specialist, who flew from the States to hotspots for week or month long deployments. He got to go for a drink when he got back and listen to what amazing things Tony had invented while he waited for Bucky to come home to him. It wouldn't be much longer until Bucky's four year contract with the military was up, and they were after him to sign up again, but he had plans. 

He was going to ask Tony to marry him and be content as the house husband while Tony revolutionized the world. If Tony agreed. But for right now, he was sneaking across the base with moonshine. He didn't want to get caught and reprimanded, not with his life with Tony so close. But Riley had died today, and Sam was going to need more than kind words to get to sleep tonight. The betas had been working on something more than fighting as brothers, and now that possibility was gone. This is why Bucky was waiting before he claimed Tony, knowing the death of the possibility of them would be easier for Tony to get over than a mating. 

So Bucky had left Sam with Steve and asked his way across the base. Now he had a flask of something hidden in his cargo pants. Since it was after business hours, which the administration staff kept, Bucky was walking through those deserted corridors. All was quiet and he kept his footfalls quiet so he could hear if that changed. He kept his body language casual, for the periodic security cameras he came across. He was in a safe spot between those cameras when a loud noise startled him. 

He ducked behind the water fountain even as he realized it was the water fountain making that awful racket. He was about to mock himself when the door on the other side of the water fountain opened. He couldn't see much except the legs of the guy who opened the door. He was wearing slacks and leather shoes, so a civilian than. 

"No, it's that damned water fountain again. I am going to kill whoever assigned me this room." 

A second voice chuckled at that, kicking static up. Civilian was talking on speakerphone then, probably to someone in the States if they were working at this time. The door was slammed closed, but the momentum was too much for the cheap construction. It closed and then slipped back open, a problem most of the doors on base had. Most people Bucky knew had learned not to slam the doors in order to make sure they were closed. Bucky risked a look at the name tag next to the door. Sen. Pierce hadn't figured out how the doors worked here, so Bucky could easily hear his conversation. 

"Now Obadiah, I'm not sure why this omega is worth getting your knot into a twist for, but I don't care as long as you can pay me. But I am going to need actionable intelligence, not some stupid nickname." 

"It's not the omega I'm after, there a plenty of ways to control him. It's the beta father that's the problem. Too smart for his own good, and I want him out of my company." 

"I can help with that, you know that, but my services don't come cheap." 

"I only hire the best, and I pay for them too. I'm not in a hurry, I need a little more time to have controlling shares." 

Peirce shut the door, so he must have seen it was still open, cutting off the rest of the conversation. Bucky wasn't sure what Peirce had to do with corporate espionage or hostile takeovers, whatever it was when somebody got controlling shares and removed somebody else. What kind of villain name was Obadiah anyway? 

Well, right now, Bucky needed to complete his mission and get this booze to Sam. The pain of losing his partner would still be there in the morning but the alcohol would dull the first rush of grief. Unfolding from his place beside the water fountain, Bucky resumed his too casual walk to the barracks. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

"Obadiah contacted Alexander Peirce about removing a beta with an omega child from a company as soon as he had controlling interest in the company shares. Peirce was later identified as a leader of Hydra, a group within most branches of government. Hydra performed extrajudicial killings for a fee. Even after Peirce's role in Hydra was determined, the asset did not make the connection, thinking Obadiah only wanted controlling interest in the company. But less than six months after Obadiah had controlling interest in Stark Industries, beta Howard Stark and his beta wife Maria were killed in an accident." 

"That's preposterous!" Obadiah declared, but got a hand on his shoulder from the big guy with an eyepatch. 

"That's quite a claim, I don't suppose you have proof?" Eyepatch asked. "It wasn't the omega you wanted, you had other ways to control him. Even back then you were manipulating, controlling Tony. Tracking him. It wasn't fate that had you stopping by the empty mansion after Stone died. You were just manipulating the omega." 

"Kill him." Obadiah commanded. 

"Stand down." Eyepatch commanded. 

Agents responded based on their loyalties, Shield agents lowering weapons while Hydra raised theirs. It made it easy for Tony to pick his targets as the soldier moved. People tried to stop him and the soldier found he had acquired a knife and he sliced his way across the room. Obadiah realized he was the target and fought his way to his feet, free of Eyepatch's hold. He was yelling orders but nothing came between the soldier and his mission. 

Tony was conservative with his shots, keeping the path clear for Bucky, even as he resorted to jumping on a credenza so he could see that path. He had a gun and people still didn't see him as a threat, so they only grabbed at his legs and tried to talk him into coming down. He kicked at them, danced around and was absolutely sure he wasn't the one that shot the large window. He watched, awed, as Bucky launched himself up and across the desk, colliding with Obadiah. The window, damaged already, wasn't able to handle the extra weight. 

"No!" Tony screamed and began his own journey to the desk, the window. Hands were grabbing him, disarming him, but they managed to stop him where he could see the desk and emptiness behind it. Briefly he saw that emptiness, and then his hated bond with Obie snapped with his death. Tony eagerly let the snap take him into blackness. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

New York City was only a hell of a town because of the people in it. A burly dude could walk around with a bow and arrow and not get more than a glance. Clint might have to get a fancy case to hold the bow if he stayed here long term, but for now he held it so he could sling his duffel across his back. Somebody could steal his clothes, he'd be fine with that but his most prized possession was staying in his hands. 

Tony Stark-Stone-Stane was a big city omega, so if Clint had any hope of finding Barns it would be to start with the omega. Right now, Clint needed to know that his friend was safe, and then find out if his crop-duster had survived the escape. Lora had gladly taken over the farm, with its miraculously running tractor, and Clint could find his own way in the world. 

So it wasn't surprising that Clint found himself across the street from Stain Tower. He wasn't sure about his next step and was generally sizing up the building when he saw the explosion of glass. A blob fell out of the top of the tower and as it plummeted, Clint could make out more details. Somebody was punching somebody else, his left arm the only noticeable blob as he kept punching. 

"Aww, Barns, no." Clint had an idea even before he really understood what he was seeing. It was a terrible idea that would probably not work, but it was all he had. Clint ducked into an alley so he wouldn't be bumped as he lined up his shot. Since Barns was only showing that left arm, that's what Clint aimed for. 

The first arrow pinned that upraised arm to the glass tower behind them, but only for a moment. It was enough to separate Barns from the bald man, and Clint lined up another shot. The glass kept shattering from the impacts, and Barns would fall another story. The glass was streaked with blood from where Clint was destroying the man's left arm. Clint was probably slowing down a dead body at this point but he had to try. 

When the body thumped to the sidewalk at last, Clint wasn't the only one rushing over to see if he could help. There was a gigantic blond man using his scarf to stop the blood, while a snake-thin man checked if Barns was breathing. Then there were men in suits and paramedics everywhere. Clint almost managed to hide in the crowd and disappear, but then there was a redhead alpha female asking him questions and he was half in love before they made it to the interrogation room. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS

Bucky woke up, which surprised the fuck out of him. He kept his eyes closed as he assessed his surroundings, the steady beep of the heart monitor, the floating feeling suggesting he was on the good drugs. Yeah, it all meant he was in the hospital. His nose and mouth was covered by a oxygen mask, which prevented even his dulled senses from smelling anything. He wasn't sure why he was wearing one of those instead of the annoying one jammed up his nose, but to find that out he'd have to talk to a doctor. 

Being in the hospital meant Bucky had somehow survived shoving Tony's alpha out a window. Was Tony a widower now? Were the drugs what was keeping Bucky from jumping up and finding Tony, or was it the fear that Tony wasn't in this room. That Tony had a decent night's sleep and remembered he didn't need an alpha, let alone a broken one? Tugging at his left arm kept Bucky from spiraling too far. Instead he called up reserves of bravery he didn't know he had and opened his eyes. There was a curly haired man there, focused on some wires and a laptop; but it wasn't Tony. Bucky turned his head for a better look and the man jerked back. 

"Ah, you're not supposed to be awake yet." The man mentioned. 

Bucky glared. The man held his hands up and spoke in a calm tone. 

"I'm Bruce, I'm just taking measurements for Tony." 

"Measurntony?" Bucky started to ask but his throat was on fire. 

"Yes, measurements for Tony for the, oh, you just woke up. I am not the right person to tell you this, not that kind of doctor. Let me call someone, get you some water." Bruce fumbled for a call button, reaching across Bucky for it. Bucky grabbed Bruce's arm, but only Bucky's right arm responded to that command. 

"Tony." Bucky managed to growl out, and Bruce understood. 

"Tony's fine. I'll let him know you're awake, he'll be here in before you know it. God, he'll be so mad he wasn't here when you woke up, I'll never hear the end of it. We made him leave the room, had to promise someone he trusted would be here whenever he wasn't. Him and Pepper have been super busy, cleaning up after Stane." 

Bucky growled, not bothering trying for words. 

"Okay, calm down. Stane is dead, you killed him. Linear narrative might be good, Bruce. You shoved Stane out of a window, Clint, who has been watching you too so I don't know why he couldn't be here when you woke up. Well, Clint shot you with a bunch of arrows, pinned you to the side of Stane Tower. I'm sorry, it basically shredded your left arm, they had to amputate. I'm running some tests for the prosthetic Tony designed. He doesn't care for the squishy sciences, so he wants me and Dr. Cho to make sure the nerve endings will allow for sensation. I took a video of Tony's reaction to the prosthetics already on the market, you'll love that, especially the part were none of it was good enough for his alpha. Which, you're not. Tony's made it very clear you have a choice." 

Bucky turned and gave his arm a brief look, but the stub just laid there, some bandaging but mostly wires. It looked healed and maybe like something he'd care about later. "How long?" 

"How long? Oh, yeah, the fall broke some of your ribs, disconnect your shoulder, tore some ligaments. It was bad, internal bleeding, they thought you might not make it. Medically induced coma, it's been three months. Stane, Tony's alpha, was selling weapons to all sides of the conflict. So Pepper and Tony have had to recall a bunch of weapons, clean out the board of directors. Tony dismantled the weapons production of the company, renamed it Stark Industries like it was under is father. He's got some amazing ideas about green energy and prosthetics." Bruce paused to rub at the back of his neck as if embarrassed. "Company stock took a hit, and another one when people realized an unbonded omega was in charge." 

Bucky tried to sit up at that, but Bruce easily pushed him back down. 

"Right. So Tony did have a mating heat after Stane's death broke the bond. But Fury, the guy in charge of that, uh, meeting? Well, he got Tony to a heat room so he wasn't taken by whatever alpha got lucky. Again." Bruce had a growl in his voice at that word, one that Bucky approved of. "Yeah, lots of work to keep Stark Industries going, or else Tony would be here right this minute." 

"I'm here why are you talking about me?" Tony said, sailing into the room. He was looking at his phone, dressed and coifed to perfection. But his shirt was wrinkled and there were bags under his eyes. He was too skinny for Bucky's eye, showing signs of working too hard. When he looked up he stopped, eyes getting wide as he realized Bucky was awake. He was beautiful. 

Bruce broke the silence. "He just woke up, I tried to fill him in on what was going on. I'll go get a doctor." 

"Yes, you do that." Tony was quick to respond, his quick eyes taking in the rest of the room. "Did you get him some water? Those oxygen masks really dry you out." 

"I forgot. Sorry." Bruce muttered before sliding the door closed behind him. 

Tony darted into the bathroom and came back with a plastic cup of water. "It's not much but it's better than speaking through the fires of hell. I tried to get some ice chips in you before but they said to leave the oxygen mask on as much as possible. One of your ribs did puncture your lung but that should be fixed by now." Tony got the bed set up and carefully tucked a straw under the mask. "They said you'd come out of the drugs tomorrow morning. I don't like biology, nothing is exact, makes it so hard to plan. Anyway, I'm all yours for the next three days. Unless you don't want me, then I'll have a few days to get over that. Company to run, world to reinvent, you know how it goes. Or maybe you don't? How much did Bruce tell you? Great guy, fantastic brain but something of the absentminded professor about him, you know?" 

Tony stopped talking because there was a hand over his mouth. Seeing the cup he was holding was empty, he pulled the straw out and set the combo on the tray. Bucky let his hand drop. 

"Tony." Bucky stopped to clear his throat again. He had so much to say, starting with questioning that phrase 'unless you don't want me'. "I love you. Are you really free?" 

Tony grinned. "Yeah, no alpha but the one I choose. Chose. Keep choosing. You'll probably have to testify but I think Fury has cleaned Hydra out of his ranks. Even had some incriminating photos, beside the footage of what happened in Obie's office. Obie only thought he disabled JARVIS. So you'll be able to return to the world. If you want." 

"I want." Bucky started, stopped, yanked the mask off and up so he could pull Tony to him. Tony came willingly, folding himself along Bucky's good side like he belonged there. It was perfect, wonderful, until the door opened. Bucky recognized the lab coat, that these were probably doctors even as he rolled to guard Tony with his body and growl at the intruders. He could smell the amusement in Tony's scent, which stopped him in his tracks. 

"I can smell you." 

"Becoming a null is a biological response to emotional trauma. Or something." Tony rolled his eyes. " Squishy sciences, not my thing, but it means you can get better." 

"So I have a chance of being half the alpha you deserve, if you'll have me." 

"Only because you asked so nicely." The words could have been a joke, but Bucky knew how important it was to be asked. 

"The only thing I'll every demand of you is that you know I love you." 

"Accepted. Kiss on it?" 

So Bucky kissed Tony, like everything was right in the world. And for a moment, it was. 

JB _Winteriron_ TS


End file.
